


Welcome to Moonbucks

by silentlypunk



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: BEAUTIFUL LEOJI, Everyone is friends, Fluff, Gen, Humour, M/M, MORE LEOJI, Most people are in this, Mutual Crushes, PRECIOUS LEOJI, PROTECT THEM, coffee shop AU, hints of other ships e.g. otayuri jjbella seungchuchu etc, lots of american trio bants, need more side hoes in life, no skating whoops, one frequently mentioned oc, part-time baristas, refs to other anime but just in passing, roommate domesticity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-28 07:43:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 31,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13266861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentlypunk/pseuds/silentlypunk
Summary: There's a perfectly adorable Chinese boy who works shifts with Leo at Moonbucks. He needs immediate help.Alternatively, there's a charming young American working shifts with Guang-hong at Moonbucks. He, too, needs immediate help.Regardless of how much help they actually receive, something is brewing at Moonbucks, and it's not just the coffee.





	1. It's a Guy!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for giving this relative rarepair a chance! This is a Leoji centric fic, so the chapters will alternate between their POVs. Mainly the "help" will be Otabek, JJ and Phichit, but other characters will appear as well -- either by name or in an actual scene. We'll see how it goes lmao.
> 
> Please enjoy...
> 
>  
> 
> __

The moment Leo steps into his room, he knows something bad is about to happen. This is due to the fact that his two roomates are staring at him with a very expectant air.

JJ and Otabek have the exact same 'fess-up-bitch look, which is terrifying in itself, but what makes it worse is that Leo actually IS hiding something, and he's not planning to " 'fess up". 

There is tense silence as Leo drops his apron on his desk and flumps onto his bed. “Weather's nice today, huh?" he says with forced cheeriness. 

_Please god, please don't let this be about the energy bars I stole from JJ's bedside snack stash._

" We know everything,”JJ says. 

_...shit._

“I was going to tell you, I swear!" Leo shouts desperately, rolling his biggest helpless eyes, hoping against hope that it would soften his roommates' hearts. Otabek arches an eyebrow, unimpressed. “We would have figured it out if you hadn't told us anyway. Now then, Leo..." _ohshitohshitohshitthisishowIdie_ "...why exactly have you been doing extra shifts at Moonbucks?"

"...wait, what?" Leo squints at them, distrustful. “This is about my part-time job?"

“Uh, yeah,” JJ says, tilting his head to one side like a confused puppy. “What did you think it was about?” "Nothing," Leo mumbles, silently thanking every deity he could think of. “What about my extra shifts?" 

“You HATE working at Moonbucks, but you've been going most days for the past few weeks," JJ explains. “What's the deal?”  Leo gulps. “Uhh...everyone is getting sick and I have to fill them in?" He chuckles nervously. “Why is this an issue, again?"

Otabek leans forward, looking very concerned. “Are you in dire straits?" he asks _without a single hint of sarcasm_. “You know we'd help you, right?" 

Leo stares at him. JJ stares at him. Otabek stares back and forth between the two of them in extreme confusion. “What..?” “Pause on Leo’s interrogation,” JJ declares incredulously. "Who the fuck uses 'dire straits'?" Otabek flushes. “Don't judge me," he says defensively. “Unpause Leo’s interrogation. So? Do you need help, or what?"

Leo rubs his face and smiles, a kind of infatuated peace relaxing his entire body. “No," he says softly. “It's...something else. Thanks, though.” 

He waits for JJ to change the topic. Nothing comes.

They can both hear JJ's (rusty) brain gears click at the same time, because they sigh in perfect sync. "IT'S A CRUSH," he yells. "THERE'S SOMEONE AT MOONBUCKS, ISN'T THERE? HA! YOU CAN'T FOOL _LE ROI_! I KNOW EVERYTHING!"

"NO," Leo says firmly, throwing his jacket at JJ, who dodges it while cackling maniacally. "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I LIKE GUYS --" "IT'S A GUY," JJ hollers. "OTABEK! OUR BOY HAS A GUY PROBLEM!"

“Oh," Otabek mumbles, mouth quirking upwards as Leo groans painfully. “That makes more sense. Can't help you with that, though."

Leo buries his face in the pillow and shrieks, trying to ignore JJ's whooping.

( _UNthank the deities!_ Leo thinks fiercely. _Unthanking ALL the deities NOW!_ )

********

It’s a couple days later when Leo and Otabek go on a late-night snack run when the topic resurfaces.

“So there’s a guy now, huh…” Otabek mumbles under his breath. Leo groans and throws a pack of M&Ms at him. It rebounds off his arm into the cart. “Can you not, please?”

Otabek blinks at the pack of M&Ms in mild surprise. “What was that for? Also, I got those already.”

Leo stares at him until realisation dawns in his eyes. “I said that out loud, didn’t I.” “Yes, asshat. I can’t believe you didn't realise.”

“Well, what are you gonna do about him, then? Oh, you better buy some energy bars and sneak them back into JJ’s snack stash, he’s been freaking out about a mouse problem. I haven’t told him yet.”

“Woah there, wait just a minute — you knew about that?! AND, you can’t do that! You can’t drop two bombs in one sentence! Rude. Okay but _how_ did you know about the energy bars??”

The cart stops. Otabek puts a hand on Leo’s shoulder, stares him dead in the eyes, and says, “You opened his drawer while whistling the Mission Impossible theme and took a bunch of energy bars. I. Was. In. The. Room.” Leo gapes at him. “I’m not stupid, I would not have done that! When was this??” “Last Wednesday. I was under the desk fixing the wobbly leg. You were using your gaming headphones. In conclusion, you’re an unobservant brick. Back to the Moonbucks boy.”

The Moonbucks boy…

A high schooler, maybe two years younger. South-east Asian; Chinese, maybe? His name sounded Chinese. Tiny and slender, perpetual blush, wide eyes, like a little bunny that lived in a field of flowers. Light scattering of freckles. Undeniably adorable.

Two girls had given him their numbers on their last shift together. The type of girls in low-cut tops and platform heels, who giggled and simpered in high-pitched voices and probably switched toys for boys when they were 10. He’d stuttered and turned cherry red and licked his lips anxiously and the moment the girls had left he’d taken a marker and crossed out their names and numbers with a trembling hand and thrown the paper into recycling, looking lost and a little bit guilty.

Leo didn’t blame him. Bunnies don't go with piranhas.

“Earth to Leo…you’ve got it bad, huh?”

Leo shakes his head. “Bunnies don’t go with lions,” he says softly.

Otabek sighs and grabs a pack of marshmallows. “Get the whipped cream,” he says. “You need counselling from JJ, and we all need hot chocolate.”

“Hot chocolate?” Leo perks up, thoughts of the pretty Moonbucks boy dispersing for a moment. “You make the best hot chocolate, but you never make it!” Otabek rolls his eyes at him. “You obviously deserve it, lover boy. It hurts to _watch_ you pine. Come on, let’s go back. Next thing you know JJ will be redecorating our room with his posters.”

“Ugh. Yeah, let’s head back. Energy bars, whipped cream…eh, where’s the cream…?”

“On second thoughts we might not need it. _You’re_ fucking whipped. For him.”

“Hmm. JJ might appreciate a couple oatcake energy bars, doncha think?”

“…you know what, you don’t deserve the hot chocolate after all.”


	2. Speak up, Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit gets in on the action, Guang-hong is a shy little mouse, and Leo is an absolute gentleman -- just at the wrong moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S GUANG-HONG'S BIRTHDAY
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OUR PRETTY CHILD!!!!!
> 
> 生日快樂啊季光虹！！！！
> 
> here's chapter 2, thanks for continuing!!! introducing a cheeky hamster boi...

“Alright, spill the beans,” Phichit orders, tugging Guang-hong’s arms away from him.

And the heart-shaped pillow, and the teddy bear, and unzipping the maroon hoodie, and removing the pink face mask.

The equally, if not more violently, pink boy inside these layers whimpers out, “No.”

“Minami told me, you little minx,” Phichit says, poking his soft tummy. Guang-hong squirms away from his knowing gaze. “ _Lion of the Church_ , huh? That’s a pretty cool name. Cool guy with a cool name. Like you, pretty boy, _Season of Rainbow Light_.”

“Stoooop,” Guang-hong whines, flushing an even darker pink. Phichit laughs. “Why are you so embarassed?” he teases. “Names have symbolisation and meaning is all I’m saying!”

Guang-hong sits up, rubs a hand down his heated face, and groans. “Is it creepy I know what his name means? I’ve never even talked to him. I mean — on induction day, maybe, but…” Phichit shushes him with a grin and shoves his phone into Guang-hong’s hands. “I knew you’d be too embarrassed to, so I did it for you! Here’s the 3 tabs I found about him last night. Oh, there’s more on my laptop, wait…”

“Phichit! This is borderline immoral!” “This is between us, okay? Your social etiquette doesn't apply here. And don’t tell me you’re not curious, you’re online almost as much as I am, and that’s saying a lot.”

“I…”

Guang-hong squeezes his eyes shut in mortification. Phichit whistles. “Damn, Ji, you could fry an egg on your face right now. Anyway, his friends would probably do the same if he were in your situation. Which, let’s be real, he totally could be, you know?”

“…Phichit. I can’t. I really can’t.”

There’s a short period of silence, in which Guang-hong thinks, _is he mad at me for being so timid?_

“Hey,” Phichit says really softly. “Guang-hong, open your eyes for a bit.”

Guang-Hong squints distrustfully at him. Phichit takes his arm and slots the teddy bear into place. “I’ll look at them. If you really don’t want to because it’s against your morals or something, then don’t. I’m just saying you can learn a lot about people through their social media, their internet footprints, you know? You of all people should understand that. And it’s important to know what kind of person he is before you fall even deeper into your crush.”

“That’s just the nice way of saying ‘stalking people online is fun’. Besides, I already know what he’s like, kinda,” Guang-hong mumbles, biting shyly at one of the teddy bear’s ears. “Everyone at work likes him. He’s funny, and he does great latte art, and sometimes groups of girls who come in all huddle in the corner and take pictures of him…oh,” he perks up, “Remember those scary playboy girls I told you about?”

Phichit hums lowly, skimming across something on the laptop screen. “They gave you their numbers, right? You did a good job on that one. Still think you should’ve written rude things on the paper and stuck them up somewhere, though.” “Enough about the vandalism,” Guang-hong chides. “When I was crossing out their information, I saw him watching the girls go with this super intense expression. He looked dangerous, like…like he knew what they were up to, or something. That was super intimidating.”

Phichit looks up, his eyes glinting. “Oho? Did he look protective, per chance?”

Guang-Hong thinks, _he looked ready to grab them and whip out handcuffs. It was terrifying._

_Also, I think that’s the only time he’s ever noticed something that’s happened to me, even though we’ve been working a lot of shifts together recently._

Guang-Hong says, “Shut up, Phichit.”

********

“Do you think he knows who I am?”

Phichit sets down his mug so hard, there’s a loud clunk, and a few drops of tea spill out onto the table. Guang-Hong groans, looks around hurriedly, and sops up the droplets with a corner of his apron. “Don’t attract attention, I’m supposed to be at the counter!”

“Guang-hong, darling.” Phichit shakes his head in disbelief. “I have been sitting here for less than ten minutes. You’ve barely had three people come in. And I have been counting. He’s looked at you 17 times _already_. Are you telling me you haven’t noticed a _single_ glance?”

The flush is returning; Phichit watches the blood spread from his face to his ears, despite being hidden behind his hair. The hands come up too; he can see Guang-hong’s wide brown eyes peering anxiously at him from between his fingers. “ _Seventeen?_ ” the blushing boy squeaks out.

“Deep breaths, Ji, you’re attracting attention. Also, he’s _much_ cooler in person.”

Guang-hong sighs at the end of a deep exhale. “I _know_ , right?”

“I’m gonna go talk to him.”

“NO,” Guang-hong yelps fiercely. (Well, as fiercely as he could while keeping the volume around a whisper.) “NOOOO. No can do. Just…sit here and watch, okay? Pretend to read, and drink your tea slowly, or something. No talking. Tell me when you’re leaving. Okay? O-kay. I’m leaving you now. Dammit, Chulalont, I should never have let you talk me into this! You’re such a bad influence!”

“I think you meant to say ‘thank you for your help! I appreciate and love you!’ But I’ll let it slide just once.” Phichit winks at him and pats his hip reassuringly. “Shoo now, let the master get to work. Bye bye ~ !”

Guang-hong huffs and returns to the counter, sneaking a bashful look at Leo, who is listening to music as he wipes tables around the room.

_Please god, please don’t let Phichit do anything stupid or outlandish…_

********

  
About half an hour later, Phichit saunters up to the counter and beckons Guang-hong over.

Before Guang-hong can pull him off to the side, Phichit grabs his collar forcefully and whispers, “Over a hundred! I may have lost count for a while ‘cuz I had to take a quick phone call, but the odds are _so_ in your favour and I have _no_ idea why you haven't made a move yet! ALSO, he’s _so_ cute and polite and _chill_ , I’m _really_ impressed. Nice pick, my friend!”

Guang-hong blinks owlishly, slightly intimidated by the fervour in Phichit’s sparkling eyes. “…you’re joking, right? I mean…” Phichit groans impatiently and leans into his personal space. “I am _so_ not joking. I have never been less not-joking in my entire life. Make. A move. NOW. And if you don’t do something sometime soon, I swear on my 4k followers, I will —”

“Um.”

Guang-hong trips over his feet, because _it’s him oh FUCK how much did he hear why is he HERE_ , and shoots a panicked look at Phichit, who mouths not very discreetly at him, _you said most of that out loud_ , and Leo looks slightly confused and hurt ( _????_ ) and also defensive ( _why does he look defensive, were we making a scene? Oh no I bet we were being really annoying, AHHH_ ), and Guang-hong ducks away.

_This is a nightmare._

Phichit, who has immediately reverted back to being his charming sunshine-y self, whips out his full megawatt grin, sticks out his hand for a handshake and says, “Hi! My name is Phichit. Guang-hong and I are good friends. Nothing shady or violent is going on. Nice to meet you!”

_God, I specifically asked that you not let Phichit do anything stupid and outlandish! Why!!_

“Um..okay? Hi. I’m Leo. Sorry I butted in, you grabbed his collar and I overreacted. It’s not my business.” “Dude, you have a killer grip. Just saying. Anyway, it’s okay! I’ve been told I’m too enthusiastic. Don’t worry about Guang-hong, I realise he’s crouched somewhere under there, which looks bad, but he’s just really timid, you know? Not your fault!”

 _This is a nightmare, but this nightmare is very realistic, and I am so glad the cafe is mostly empty._ He whimpers, out loud, “Shāle wǒ.”

He can feel Phichit lean over the counter, because the next thing that happens is Phichit pulls him up by the collar like a mother cat. “Here’s one scared little bunny. Stop cursing your deities and look up, I have to go now. I’m sure you’ll be very able to make sure he’s okay, right Leo? Thank you! Bye bye!”

 _Wha—don’t you DARE, you cheeky little —!_ “Wait, Phichit!” Guang-Hong shrieks, but it’s too late. The door slams shut behind the waving figure, the bell tinkling merrily.

There’s a few charged moments of silence, and then Leo blurts out, “Sorry for butting in on your conversation! It’s just, he grabbed your collar, and I completely freaked out, because I-I’ve seen street fights, and — um, I’m sorry for scaring you, and oh my god, I am such an idiot. Can you apologise for me? To your friend?”

 _His face is so red._ “It’s okay,” Guang-hong mumbles, shaking like a leaf. “You surprised me is all. Um…how much…how much did you hear?”

“…I swear on my 4k followers? I, um. Had a bit of a crisis. Not my business, and all that…”

 _Thank god for indecision and respecting privacy!!!_ , Guang-hong internally shouts.

Externally, he says, “Oh. That’s ok, then. Also it’s really no big deal, so…”

Leo’s staring at the floor, biting his lip worriedly. Guang-hong squeezes his eyes shut.

_Nice one, Chulalont! You had one job! I’m gonna roast you like a chestnut over an open fire!_

Then, in absolute dread, he realises that this is the first time they’ve properly interacted, and it’s ended awkwardly, so damn awkwardly with neither of them looking at the other like adults should.

_Great._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops.
> 
> has anyone ever stood up to violence, whether it be a mistake or an actual fight? do share if u want to :o
> 
> we'll be back to looking at the lion and his pals next time, so stay tuned! leave comments/kudos if u feel this was worth ur time xx 
> 
> (Shāle wǒ -- mandarin -- "kill me")
> 
> edit: idk why the end notes from chapter one are here...maybe it's a glitch? anyway sorry about that minor thing (×_×;


	3. Worry, worry...Instagram??

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo reflects on his poor life decisions, but then it turns out not to be all that poor after all.
> 
> JJ says it's progress, while Otabek doesn't say much but provides mental support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh thanks for the continued support! been a bit busy with school lately :o i'll try my best to keep uploading in steady intervals!
> 
> without further ado, here's chapter 3...

When Leo returns from his shift, he collapses at the door, wails, yanks the hairband out of his ponytail and throws it across the room.

It doesn’t go very far.

_He was so scared…and it was because of me. I freaked them out._

“Chivalry is overrated,” he announces to the furniture. “Today, Leo has learnt the important lesson to NOT overreact, and to not embarrass himself in front of Guang-hong and his super tan friend. It would have been less embarrassing to pop an awkward boner. Leo regrets speaking out. Leo is _un tarado_. Leo has no clue why he’s speaking in third person. Snap out of it, me!”

The door edges open behind him, and he lets out an alarmed noise before scrambling away from the entrance, feeling like an absolute fool.

“Nothing is more embarrassing than popping awkward boners,” JJ muses, nudging the door wider with his foot. His arms are laden with bags. “There’s more where this came from, go make yourself useful, we’ll talk about your bad work day later, k?”

“What on earth…?” Leo steps outside the door and is encountered with a small army of bags. “Where did you guys go while I was suffering?”

“Fishing,” Otabek says, emerging from the stairwell and panting slightly. “Or more accurately, I went fishing, he nearly fell in the lake, and we ended up getting groceries for a whole week. I did catch a massive carp, but I sold it to some old guy on the docks on account of how annoying they are. Also because money is good. Help me with those bags.”

********

They’ve only just managed to put away everything when JJ turns around, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Soooo…” he drawls, entirely too gossipy, “What happened today while we procured edibles?”

“ _Procured edibles_ ,” Otabek scoffs. “And you judged me for saying ‘dire straits’.”

Leo laughs nervously. “I…thought his friend was attacking him so I went up to them?”

All the gossipy curiosity drains out from JJ’s expression. “Shit, dude.”

Otabek says nothing, but he cringes slightly from second-hand embarrassment.

Leo sighs. The shame is still raw, but if he wants help, then he’ll have to confess. “I startled him so much that he fell over, and then he whispered really softly —” here he has to take a breath, because what he’d said had _stung_. “— he whispered, ‘oh FUCK how much did he hear why is he HERE’, and then he freaked out and crouched under the counter until his friend pulled him back up.”

Silence.

“So you freaked out, then he freaked out, then it was really awkward,” JJ summarises. Leo nods, face red all over again.

“What did his friend do?” Otabek asks, looking puzzled but also sympathetic. “It must’ve been bad if you thought you had to step in.”

“He grabbed Guang-hong by the collar. And before that, when he first came in, they were talking at the corner table, his friend set down his tea very loudly, and he went all red, but then they talked normally, and then he went back to work. So…”

No one says anything for a while, all contemplating the situation while Leo relives the moment all over again, cursing inwardly. “Look, I overreacted, okay? We’ve all seen street fights before — hell, we’ve _been_ in street fights before! And the aggressor grabs collars, right? It’s really common, so I just overreacted, and freaked out, and now probably both of them think I’m some busybody who tried to eavesdrop then failed to cover up with a lame excuse. I probably just ruined any chances I might've had. Neither of you saw him, he was absolutely terrified, okay?!”

“Leo, calm down,” JJ says firmly. “If it’s any reassuring, I think you did the right thing. Most people would have looked away, and then god knows what might have happened.”

Otabek nods. “I agree. And if they were focused on talking about something between themselves, it’s only natural you might have startled him. You said so yourself, he once got jumpscared by a customer’s heavy metal ringtone, right?” “Yeah, but…” “That’s not a but. He’s just naturally jumpy. If anything, you stood up to a possible danger situation, which is definitely a good thing.”

Leo takes a deep breath, and just…deflates.

Surely there was some sense in what they were saying.

********

They’re all feeling very full and experiencing the varying degrees of drowsiness that one can only get from a satisfying dinner when Leo sits up straight, throws his phone across the room (where it lands safely on a beanbag, luckily), and basically screams.

“What? What?!” JJ springs up from his bed with an extremely panicked expression. Otabek doesn’t move from his slouch on his beanbag, but he tenses up visibly and stares at Leo with a kind of alarmed intensity that indicates some fight-or-flight instinct.

Leo is shrinking away from his phone as though it grew fangs and a tail. “His friend messaged me on Instagram!”

“WHAT,” JJ shrieks, and pounces onto Leo’s phone with incredible speed.

 

_phichit+chu: ahaha i found u!! hey i just wanted to say dw about today!!! it’s all a-ok!!!_

 

“My name tag,” Leo realises with some horror. “He searched the name on my name tag and found me??”

The phone chirps with a new message, and JJ’s head whips back to study it with glee.

 

_phichit+chu: u have a really cool name btw 12/10_

 

Leo covers his face and groans, while Otabek laughs and says, “I mean. He’s not wrong.”

 

_phichit+chu: i know you’re reading these don't be shy lol_

_phichit+chu: it was v brave for u to do what u did today tbh_

 

“Oh shit, you gotta reply,” JJ says, handing him the phone. “You can’t just leave the guy on read.”

 

 _iglesiadelaleo: um thanks?? i guess_  
_iglesiadelaleo: but i’m still so sorry about what happened today…_  
_iglesiadelaleo: i shouldn’t have interrupted with presumptions_

 

“Eager beaver,” JJ snorts at him. Leo whines anxiously in reply just as Otabek sighs, “Stop teasing him, he’s literally trembling.”

“Shut it, momma bear. You can’t even see us from your position.”

“No, but I can guess what’s happening without looking.”

“Everyone shush,” Leo hisses. JJ rolls his eyes. “What? He can't hear us over a PM.”

 

 _phichit+chu: like i said, no worries!!!_  
_phichit+chu: u seem like a really cool guy :D hope we can be pals despite the weird first meeting haha_

Leo lets out a soft “eep” and looks at JJ with terrified eyes.

“You really want my advice? Accept the request. At least you’ll be friends with his friend now; isn’t that a bit of progress anyhow?”

Otabek pushes off the beanbag (finally) and yawns. “Surprisingly, I agree with him. This might make things a bit easier.”

 

_phichit+chu has started following you_

 

JJ nudges him. “Dude, follow him back.”

“Well, I guess one good thing has come out of your awkward encounter,” Otabek says, looking over Leo's shoulder at the phone. “Phichit, huh? Sounds foreign.”

Leo lets out a shaky laugh. “You’re one to talk, Mister Overseas-Student-From-Somewhere-in-Central-Asia.”

Otabek shoves him indignantly. “That’s not the point! And you know perfectly well where I’m from, asshat. It’s just…his name sounds familiar, somehow. But I can’t place it. So annoying...”

********

Completely out of the blue, Seung-gil sneezes violently. “Someone’s talking about me. That’s not good.”

“Oh, stop your superstitious sneezing theories. You’re a physics student, you’re above that,” Phichit says distractedly, fiddling with his phone.

 

_iglesiadelaleo has started following you_

 

 _phichit+chu: yay!! i’ll see u around!_  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay for social media. 
> 
> here's some clarification for the american trio's living quarters --- basically they piled together and rented out a small open-style studio apartment near their uni. jj has a single bed while otabek and leo share a bunk (leo claimed the lower one before they even moved in). and yes they have a beanbag instead of a sofa, because why would you get a sofa when you can get SEVERAL BEANBAGS.
> 
> i hope whoever's reading can keep supporting this fic!! the next chapter's a bit of an intense one, so hold tight :oo
> 
> (un tarado -- spanish -- "a moron")  
> (carps taste nice if they grew up in unpolluted water, but they're insanely hard to clean, so it's more logical to sell them to any buyers lol)  
> (do tell me if the spacing is weird...i've been struggling with that for like half an hour...)


	4. Shit Goes Down, Good and Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relatively mild shit goes down at the Seungchuchu residence, while relatively strong shit starts to blow up in Moonbucks.
> 
> Either way, Guang-hong is resolutely keeping the song "Holding Out For A Hero" (Bonnie Tyler, 1984) out of his head.
> 
> (He's failing.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's chapter 4! it's mostly bants tho...but i did say it would get a bit more intense. hope the intensity isn't disappointing lmao.
> 
> ch5 is halfway done too, in case anyone's anticipating...

When Guang-hong stoops to peer suspiciously at his phone, Phichit immediately locks the screen, throws it out of reach and gives him a cheerful and fully unconvincing smile.

“Spill it, bastard. What did you do?”

“Made a new friend. Nothing wrong with making new friends. Or do they need your approval? Because he definitely has your approval. Not that you know who he is.”

“You’re way too untrustworthy,” Guang-hong decides. “I’m gonna have your boyfriend give me live updates from now on.”

Seung-gil’s head pops out from the kitchen. “I heard that. You want me to set up a CCTV in my own place? Because I could do that.”

Phichit turns to give him the big pleading eyes while Guang-hong does his best to stare him down. “Yes please.”

Phichit begins to crawl over to the kitchen, overdramatic and pleading. “Babe. Sweetheart. No. You wouldn’t. Are you siding with that little Chinese liar? Think of the children.” He shakes Seung-gil’s leg, who rolls his eyes at him. “Ah yes, your three hyperactive hamsters and my unexpectedly affectionate husky. They’d hate the attention. Also, yes I agree with him. You are actually really untrustworthy.”

“Ha,” Guang-hong says. “Score for the Chinese liar.”

“But no, I will not set up a CCTV in my own apartment. Because while it is easy to do, it would infringe upon my own privacy and that is an intolerable concept.”

“Ha,” Phichit says, cuddling Seung-gil’s leg and sticking his tongue out at Guang-hong, who does the same in return. “Score for the boyfriend.”

“Goddamnit, Lee.” Guang-hong grabs Phichit’s phone and begins to futilely attempt to unlock it. “You really should have gone for law instead of stupid quarks or whatever.”

“Don’t you _Lee_ me, _Ji_. He was messaging your crush on Instagram, that’s all I can tell you.”

Phichit bites his leg through the jeans. “Ow! He deserves to know that, you little — get off my leg, the food is burning!”

Before the ( _stupid, interfering, pathetic_ , Guang-hong thinks angrily) lump on the floor can defend himself, he is grabbed by the collar and shaken very violently. “WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!”

“Hush, my scared little child!! Chilllll. Calm. Flowing rivers. Nice waterfalls.”

“Nice waterfalls filling up your nose with filthy water.”

Phichit winces. “Please stop bringing that up. Anyway, read the messages before you judge me. He is legitimately so nice. And now I get full access to his personal account, which was the one thing that we did not have before. Are you not trusting the social media guru? Is my lovable reputation dying?”

“There wasn’t one to begin with,” Guang-hong growls. “Unlock it. Now.”

“Sheesh, demanding.” Phichit taps in the unlock code, and Guang-hong immediately snatches it and scurries to a corner to read the messages; the husky dozing nearby snaps awake and begins to nuzzle him for pats. Phichit sighs. “Gongju, c’mere.”

“Not near me,” Seung-gil says sharply. “Or you know she’ll get food.”

“From you, yeah. Because she’s too cute and you spoil her like a sap. Gongju, sit.”

The husky’s tail thumps the floor happily when Phichit begins to rub her ears. Guang-hong turns around in his corner and squints at them. “Chulalont, I am still horrifyingly pissed at you, but have I mentioned how absolutely adorable it is that her name is literally _princess_?”

Seung-gil’s loud sigh can be heard even over the sound of Phichit’s cooing. “Yes, and it’s the 74th time you’ve mentioned that since you first met her. And it will be the 74th time that I say _cut me some slack, I was under influence._ Not that I’ve been counting.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s still fucking adorable. Phichit, for once in your life, why couldn't you have texted _properly_??”

“It’s not that bad, I haven't busted out the emojis yet. Are you still mad?”

“…Slightly. But mostly not, I guess, because…”

Phichit lifts his eyebrows at the squirming boy in the corner, looking hopeful in the face of redemption. “Because…?”

“He’s such a GENTLEMAN,” Guang-hong blurts out. “I CAN’T TAKE THIS.”

“The gentleman thought Phichit was assaulting you,” Seung-gil points out, while Phichit bursts into a fit of giggles in the background.

“Okay, true, but he stepped forward. In this day and age! Chivalry lives on.” Gongju pads over to Guang-hong and nudges his hand; the boy immediately gives her a full-body rub, baby-talking to the husky as she attempts to give him many face licks. “Isn’t that right, Gongju? Isn’t he an actual prince? The coolest dream prince ever.”

“I’m puking,” Seung-gil says flatly. “Please don’t include my dog in your fantasy.”

********

When Guang-hong pins his name badge onto his apron, ready to go on his shift, he notices two girls leaning on the counter.

Two suspiciously familiar girls in low-cut tops and massive eyeliner wings. About-to-take-flight massive. Reaching-back-to-their-temples type massive.

Like, Phichit was the makeup master, but even Guang-hong could tell that that was _overkill_.

_Shit…didn’t I tear up their numbers last week or something? I might be suppressing the memory…_

“GUANG-HONG!” His shift manager Nick hollers at him from the cashier, successfully reminding him of his paycheck. “GET OVER HERE!”

He scurries over. “Sorry, what’s the order?”

“Caramel latte,” Nick says. “Plus a double espresso shot. Oh, when you serve up, can you get those girls to leave? They’re kind of in the way, but I gotta handle the line. Thanks!”

Guang-hong stares at him complete disbelief. “Me?!” He squeaks out. “I can’t do that!!”

“Too bad, kid,” Nick says, sympathetic. “I feel like they’d eat you up, but at least try. I’ll come over if things escalate, okay?”

_NO! NOT OKAY! EVEN LESS OKAY THAN THE THING WITH LEO!! NICK!!! I TRUSTED YOU!!!_

“Okay,” Guang-hong says dutifully, moving over to the machines.

“Attaboy.”

********

“…Caramel latte with a double espresso shot!”

One of the girls leans over the counter, chunky bracelets clattering on the wooden surface, her semi-translucent shirt hanging low.

Way. Too. Low.

“Hey, pretty boy. Remember us?”

Guang-hong physically takes a step back, and has to hide his trembling hands under his apron. “Um, hi…” _Ask them to leave, ask them to leave, ask them to leave —_

“Aww, don’t be shy. See, you never texted either of us, so we thought we’d come take a look-see. Where’s your phone, baby?”

“Um…we, we’re not allowed them during work hours —” “Guess we’ll have to come by when your shift ends, then! Can’t wait,” the second one purrs, licking her lips. “But such a sweet treat is worth the patience, isn’t it, Miranda?” “Right you are, Ellie. See you in a bit, sweetie,” the first one ( _Miranda?_ ) smirks. “Three hours’ll be a blink.”

The pair blow him kisses with their cartoonishly shiny red lips and sway out of the shop, giggling viciously.

Guang-hong zombie-walks up to Nick, ready to take another order.

_I’m going to be eaten._

Nick has to look twice at the blank spot at the counter before realising. “Hey, you got out of that pretty quickly! Nice one. Hot cappuccino with cream.”

“They said they’d be back when my shift ends,” he replies tonelessly, expression blank and overwhelmed. “Can I go call a friend? I want someone to pick me up.”

“Oh. Shit.” Nick winces. “Not nice. Yeah, go ahead. I think the crowd’s thinning out, but be back in five, okay?”

“Okay.” The backroom door swings shut behind him, phone already in hand.

_…who can I call?_

_Phichit has a strong protective streak, but the girls might turn on him instead…_

_Seung-gil’s definitely their type, but he’d be really mean and horrible…so not him…_

_Yan wouldn’t stand a chance against them either, he’s just like me…_

_Hai-feng? No, she’d kill them, if not literally then mentally, and the police would probably get involved…_

_…anyway, aren’t they all in lectures right now? That’s why I chose this slot…_

Guang-hong takes a shaky breath and leans his forehead against the cool wall, tearing up slightly in utter frustration.

_I don’t want to need a hero, goddamnit!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "i'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night"
> 
> no offense to anyone reading who knows, or is, a miranda or ellie. i literally just picked names at random. also no offense to anyone reading who likes wearing makeup and skimpy clothes or being forward to your preferred orientation. it's just a personal preference.
> 
> Yan and Hai-feng are side characters, friends of Guang-hong's. might or might not see them again in the future. but i do know that victuuri will be making a very slight appearance soonish.
> 
> "gongju" = sounds the same in mandarin and korean = literally "princess"
> 
> please keep supporting this fic despite the lack of main ships, it's just that some of these guys really need more love than they get :(((


	5. Several Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lion + Bunny VS Piranhas
> 
> Then, Lion VS Bunny, with both parties emerging as winners.
> 
> Cuddling is required but not really achieved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it is half past twelve in the morning and i want a coffee. @ brain: pls no.
> 
> ch5 is a bit chaotic, but that's to be expected, right?
> 
> without further ado...FIGHT!!

“Hey, Mr Church. What time’s your shift?”

“It’s at 2. JJ, no more Mr Church. Please.”

“No promises, Senõr Church. Shouldn’t you be going then?”

“…no? It’s only one o five?”

“One o fiv—? Someone’s messed with your watch, it’s an hour early. Bye now.”

JJ watches as Leo picks up his phone, screams in panic, and bangs into the doorframe in his mad dash out of the apartment.

********

When Leo sprints into the cafe, apron in hand and ready to shout an apology to Nick, he notices two things.

Firstly, Guang-hong is still there.

_As glad as I am to see you, it’s fifteen minutes past your shift, go home!_

Secondly, Guang-hong is making _direct eye-contact_ with him.

_Either I’m being judged for our previous interaction, or my lateness, or…he’s trying to say something to me?_

And now he notices the third thing, which may be why Guang-hong hasn’t left yet.

Leo narrows his eyes with great suspicion at the girls at the counter, in front of Guang-hong, trying to get his attention in their miniskirts and platform heels. _They’re back??! He ripped up your numbers, ladies! He’s clearly uncomfortable! Fuck off!_

Just as he opens his mouth to say something possibly very rude, Guang-hong bursts out from behind the counter and practically throws himself at Leo, shouting with a slight edge of hysteria, “OH MY GOSH YOU’RE HERE!!”

Completely by reflex, Leo catches him by the waist and pulls him in close. Only now does he notice:  
1\. Guang-hong is shaking really badly. Like, quaking. Like, a three on the Richter scale.  
2\. He is also very red. Tomato-red. _So am I, probably._  
3\. He looks on the verge of tears…

“Help me, please,” Guang-hong whispers almost inaudibly, his eyes only growing ever bigger, before burying his face into Leo’s shoulder, fingers clawing into his back.

 _He’s pressed right against my heart, which is speeding up my heart rate,_ Leo notes dazedly, distracted by the shy warmth emanating from the boy and the sheer fact that _THIS IS REALITY OH GOD_ , before refocusing and looking back up at the two girls, both of whom are gaping at the scene in a clearly displeased manner.

“I’m sorry, who ARE you?” one of them asks, hip cocked to one side. “We were having a very nice chat until you came along, soooo…”

Guang-hong’s fingers are digging painfully into his back. “Hey. Relax,” Leo says softly, the irony of the situation not escaping his notice. “I won’t let them get to you.”

His hand tightens involuntarily on the scared boy’s slender waist, and he stands straight, channeling intimidation into his expression.

With some satisfaction, he watches the girls shrink in on themselves slightly.

_Just one of the few things I learned from Otabek, bitches. Wish he was here._

_No, on second thoughts, they might pounce him, then the second-hand embarrassment from their side would be too much to bear. Pun not intended._

With bravery that he never knew he had, Leo lifts his head high and snarls with extreme conviction, “This boy. Is _mine_. You want him? You go through me.” Guang-hong lets out a surprised (?) squeak, and Leo instinctively wraps his other arm around his back protectively, trying to control his heartbeat.

The girls exchange glances, and the other one says, “Well then. Whatever your name is, we’re not in for a long term thing. We wouldn’t mind a foursome, though,” she eyes Leo down appreciatively, who tenses up with disgust. “You interested?”

Nick chooses this excellent moment to come over from the cashier and give a loud “AHEM!”

“If you’re only here to chat up my colleagues, I advise you to leave,” he says. “Leo over there can lift 75 kgs of sugar without breaking a sweat, so I’m fairly sure he can throw you both out with no problem.”

“Tch, violence,” the first girl sniffs. “We could sue you for that, mister.”

“I’m sure you can,” Nick replies, tone hardening. “But I could do the same for you regarding sexual harrassment towards those boys. Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go, Ellie. See you around, _Leo_ ,” the second girl smirks, sauntering out past him. Leo resolutely refuses to acknowledge her, unconsciously squeezing Guang-hong tighter. “You too, shy little pretty bunny.”

The door chimes shut, and all three of them collectively let out a sigh. Nick exhales a slight chuckle. “Leo, you look like you’re about to murder someone.”

“Maybe I am,” Leo says darkly. Nick blinks owlishly at him. “Yeah, right now, that’s not funny. Come out, Ji. Party’s over. Go home and rest up.”

Guang-hong whimpers, turning his head round to stare at him.

“Both of you need to cool down,” Nick says. “Iglesia might be tan, but the flush is coming through nicely. Let go of each other already.”

“I don’t think I can,” Guang-hong mumbles. “My fingers are completely stiff. From fear.”

“Same, actually,” Leo realises, looking at his crumpled purple mess of an apron. “That was worse than an actual street fight.”

Nick shakes his head at them. “Inside, now,” he says. “And come back out only when you’re both separate and functional.”

********

It is only when the staffroom door swings shut that Leo re-realises the situation they are currently in.

 _I AM HUGGING THE CUTEST BOY ON EARTH,_ he screams internally. _AND HE IS HUGGING ME BACK. Granted the circumstances for WHY this happened are rather unfortunate, BUT IT’S HAPPENING._

And then he remembers what he said, and metaphorically faceplants a wall. _‘THIS BOY IS MINE,’ I SAID. With COMPLETE CONFIDENCE. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK._

A soft sniff brings him back to reality, and Guang-hong slowly withdraws himself from his arms. Leo notices that there’s a wet patch on his shoulder, and he panicks.

“I’m sorry!” Guang-hong blurts out, head down and fidgety. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into it! I was freaking out! It’s my fault!”

“No it’s not!” Leo says frantically. “I would’ve said something even if you hadn’t!” _No, not again, please! It was going relatively well!_

“I know,” Guang-hong sniffles. “But it shouldn’t have been any of your trouble. And now they know your name…” “I couldn’t care less if they knew my name or not,” Leo cries out fiercely. “I don’t care about them. I would have stepped up anyway, so don’t blame yourself. You can’t help it if you’re cute!”

Stunned silence, and Leo realises what he had said, completely unfiltered.

He slaps his hand over his mouth and heats up again. “I meant—” Guang-hong stutters out a small incredulous laugh. “You…think I’m cute?”

Struggling with indecision, Leo debates between the truth and a less embarrassing lie before firmly saying, “I — um — well, yes!”

Both of them go bright red, again.

“U-uh, thanks…” Guang-hong’s eyes dart around the room, ears practically steaming, and he says the most unexpected thing.

“…Ihopewecanbefriends!”

Leo blinks at him, and nearly passes out from nerves. “Me?? You want to…friends??!! Me?!!”

Guang-hong stares him dead in the eyes, lips trembling. “Yes!”

_After I scared you like that? You must be crazy!!_

“Yes!” Leo practically shouts. “I hope so, too!”

Oh, he wants to hug him again. So, so badly. And his heart is thumping like, well. Like a little bunny.

Specifically, the earnest, adorable one right in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chinese puffball has some fire in him! wHo kNeW (sarcasm lol)
> 
> but does the fire come with a flood of regrets?
> 
> we'll find out next time...
> 
> (spoilers: the answer is both yes and no.)


	6. Freak out & a Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guang-hong is lost in a dream and his friends are both in awe and exasperated. Meanwhile, the star couple (and their Son) send greetings from Russia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys don't mind the non-yoi characters making a reappearance...i needed someone else to be the rationale lol
> 
> i know this is a Side People fic, but how could victuuri not make an appearance? it's just for a little bit, and i kinda want EVERYONE to be included somehow. so yeah.
> 
> here's chapter 6!

“Let me say this again,” Minami says, eyes sparkling. “ _You_ asked to be friends?!!”

Guang-hong mumbles incoherently, head on the table, as Minami slowly self-inflates from excitement. “ _And_ he called you cute??!! _And_ —”

“Oh, shut up,” Hai-feng interrupts, clapping a hand over Minami’s mouth. “The poor boy is still dazed from his own bravery, he doesn’t need to relive it. Yet.”

“He’s about to pass out from the combination of excitement and lack of oxygen, loosen your grip,” Seung-gil points out, looking amused. “Why’d you call us and not Phichit, though?”

“That’s easy,” Minami says rather breathlessly. “Because Phichit would immediately DM him before anything. You just want to keep it down for a bit, right?”

Embarrassed, Guang-hong lifts his head and looks them each in the eye with a blank expression and an entirely too-red face. “If anyone tells him anything…”

Hai-feng gives him a small sideways smile. “Cross my heart and hope to die, friend. You know I won’t sell you out.” “Yeah,” Minami agrees, sincere. “Me neither.”

They all look expectantly at Seung-gil, who raises his hands in mock surrender. “I of all people am airtight about privacy. Relax, Guang-hong. Everyone here knows about consent.”

“Right.” The scarlet boy lets out a long breath. “I just…still kinda in denial. That I actually did…all that. And that he did what he did. And—” Overwhelmed, he collapses back onto the table and lets out a short wail of disbelief. “I JUMPED HIM?! HOW??”

“There, there,” Seung-gil says. “Let it all out.”

“And he said — he said —”

“ ‘This boy is _mine_ ’,” Hai-feng recites, pitching her voice low and protective. “ ‘You want him? You go through me.’ Oh, let’s not forget ‘I won’t let them get to you’. Honestly, I still think it was really cool how he stood up for you like that. If it had been Seung-gil, on the other hand, he probably would have shaken you off and scolded anyone present for disrupting the general atmosphere of the public environment.”

“Rude,” Seung-gil scoffs. Hai-feng raises an eyebrow at him, and he relents, “Okay, true, maybe I would have done that. But I do admire his chivalry.”

“I dared to rush out and jump him for help,” Guang-hong whispers. Minami pats his head. “Bold move,” he says. “It was okay though, didn’t he squeeze you even tighter to him when things got even more threatening? It sounded really safe.”

“I cried on his shirt because it was terrifying and I felt so _safe_!”

“He called you cute despite that —”

“He was really solid…and his heartbeat was very soothing…that was nice…”

“Uh oh,” Hai-feng notes. “Think he’s about to start drooling.”

Seung-gil folds his arms. “I’m gonna have to find the chance to see this guy for myself,” he says. “He sounds mighty impressive, and I’m sure an up-close analysation wouldn’t hurt.”

“I’ve seen him!” Minami shouts excitedly. “I went in for a cup of chocolate the other day and he was at the cashier! He was COOL. And he delivered an order to this old lady in the corner who could barely walk, then stayed to chat with her and she left smiling. Really decent thing to do. Guang-hong has good taste.”

The boy with good taste lets out a muffled scream. “HOW IS HE SO NICE!”

“And sweet,” Minami adds. “What he did was pretty sweet.”

Seung-gil nudges him. “You’re not helping.”

“Hey, Korean boy, take me with you if you’re going to check out the guy,” Hai-feng says. “I highly doubt your ability to act casual.”

“Are you saying I can’t go undercover? Because I will prove you wrong.”

“Take her,” Guang-hong says suddenly. “You’ll look less suspicious if you’re bickering together. Otherwise Hai-feng should go alone.”

“No one trusts me,” Seung-gil grumbles. “Fine then, we can just go whenever he’s there, right?”

“…I jumped him and hugged him for like ten minutes,” Guang-hong mumbles.

“And there he goes again,” Hai-feng sighs. “Like, I get how unbelievable it feels, but sometimes you just gotta accept that what’s happened has been set in stone, you know?”

Minami shakes his head. “When it’s so out of character for our shy little flower to have taken the first step? I don’t think he’ll be moving on any time soon.”

********

_Ohayō, Phichit!_

_So glad to have heard from you again! This letter exchange thing is going well. Victor passes along his greetings, so HI FROM VICTOR._

_So Guang-hong finally has a target. Well, I’m not really the person to come to for relationship advice, but I do know something about double shyness (lol), unlike you who jumped at the first chance and scored. Victor also read your last letter, I know you won’t mind. He’s very interested to know the results, and refers to Guang-hong as “that cute Chinese boy”. Knowing you, you probably already have lots of the target’s background info already, so send them over, we’re curious too~_

_To be honest, this Leo person sounds very noble. You DO often look like you’re about to attack your friends. Remember that time in Detroit when Celestino didn’t know that we were already close and pulled you off me to lecture you about personal space? I’m not surprised you haven’t changed at all!_

_But to have stepped up for someone he barely knew, I’m really impressed. Is he just a natural gentleman or are the odds in Guang-hong’s favour? Victor thinks it's the latter, he says it's really dreamy and fiction-like. I asked Yurio for an opinion without giving any names, but he just stuck his tongue at me and demanded me to leave the room. We live in an open-style apartment. He is the visitor. I should have kicked him out._

_I’d say take bigger risks and test the waters, but I know how shy Guang-hong is, so that can’t be easy to do. Maybe plug him with alcohol and push him at Leo? Like me at the banquet with Victor lol. Wonder what would happen. Or even just ask to be friends to start with. It’s really scary, but I know he’s got it in him. Jiayou!_

_Coincidentally, Yurio has also been asking about relationship advice. By asking I mean he barges into our apartment (Victor gave him the spare key, which I’m still not sure if it’s a good decision or not) and demands truthful recollections of how we came to be, because “the press is trash and I don’t trust them, not because I particularly trust you guys to have a perfect relationship anyway!” He’s still really prickly, but I know deep down he’s a sweetheart (I’m laughing as I write this, but it’s true)… I wonder if he really is asking for a friend or if anything has happened. Ciao Ciao would sigh and say “Youngsters these days.” I miss him. Tell him I said hi._

_Say hi to your boyfriend for me too! I don’t think he’s forgiven me for surprise-hugging him that one time yet ;-; How would I cope if my best friend’s significant other disliked me? Write back soon, and good luck with everything!_

_With love from Russia,_  
_Yuuri_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> background info on victuuri situation: victor is like World's Top Fashion King and yuuri was originally his secretary/translator (who was interning under celestino until The Banquet) and yurio is the badass model that welcomely barged into their personal life
> 
> i'd like them to be ordinary people like the rest of the peeps in this AU, but somehow victor just...demands fame.
> 
> if you think the non-yoi people are getting in the way, or have any other opinions, just leave a comment! i am constantly trying to improve!


	7. You Have A Mutual Friend(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Seung-gil and Hai-feng go scouting for Guang-hong, they make a pretty revolutionary discovery.
> 
> The discovery comes at the pain of death and ends with a powerful alliance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise i won't put hai-feng in any more chapters for a bit. this fic needs to be more yoi-centric and i apologise for going offtrack. it's just that she/he's a good character for connections, but i can hear jj in the background shrieking for a comeback.
> 
> this chapter's a bit dialogue heavy, but it's quite a ride, so please enjoy...

“Um, hi,” Leo says, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. “Sorry to disturb you, but have we met before?”

“I don’t believe so,” Seung-gil replies, as Hai-feng shrugs and sips from his cup of hot mocha. “I would have remembered. Sorry.”

Leo scrunches his eyebrows together awkwardly. “Oh. I just thought you looked familiar, so…”

“Are you sure you’re not associating ‘southeast-asian features’ and mixing us up?” Hai-feng quips, emotionless. “Nonono,” Leo stutters, suddenly nervous. “I’m not one of those people. I know Asians all look different, and some people mix you up the same way you might mix up white people, not that you— uh, I’ll shut up now. Pretend I never came over.”

The two exchange glances as Leo hurries away, mumbling to himself.

“Decent guy,” Hai-feng says. “Not sarcasm. You sure this is Otabek’s roommate?”

“96% positive.” Seung-gil pulls out his phone and shows him a text conversation.

_me: What’s your roommate’s full name again?_  
_Altin: roommateS actually. one’s leo de la iglesia the other is jean-jacques leroy_  
_Altin: wait why are u asking_  
_me: You’ll see._

“Huh.” Hai-feng pulls his own phone to compare a similar conversation.

_me: is ur friend’s name leo or leon_  
_me: it was leon like in Kings of Leon right_  
_otabek altin: no it's leo no n_  
_otabek altin: are u and koreaboo scheming something_  
_otabek altin: why am i friends with u_  
_me: too late_

“What are the chances of age and name both being exactly the same?” Seung-gil says. “I’m surprised I didn’t realise it sooner. He's showed me a picture of his roommates before. Then again we’ve never really discussed other friends.”

“Yeah, same. And we're not the type to wildly socialise, either. Wonder why he recognises us though?”

********

Leo squints at the black-haired, dark-clothed, intimidating pair at the corner table. _I swear I’ve seen them before, somewhere!_

Taking a quick glance to make sure that the cafe was relatively deserted, Leo whips out his phone and snaps a quick picture to put onto his Instagram story, with the caption “DOES ANYONE KNOW THESE TWO??”

Maybe someone would recognise them and solve the mystery.

********

As Hai-feng drains his cup of mocha, Seung-gil’s phone buzzes with incoming texts.

_Altin: WHAT ARE U TWO DOING THERE_  
_Altin: WHAT ARE U PLANNING TO DO WITH MY FRIEND_  
_Altin: IF U HURT HIM I WILL HURT U IDC_

“Ah,” Seung-gil says, amused. “I’m afraid a conference call is in order.”

“Busted? So quickly?” Hai-feng reads the messages and laughs. “What does he want to do, run us down with his bike?”

_Altin: THERES A PARK DIRECTLY ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE MONNBUCKS_  
_Altin: IN IT IS A SAD RAINBOW SWING SET_  
_Altin: IF I DONT SEE BOTH OF U THERE IN 5 MINS TIME I WILL BUST IN AND START SCREAMING_  
_me: Alright chill_

Hai-feng pulls on his jacket and stretches leisurely. “Seeing as we are facing imminent death, I say we get a move on and defend ourselves from horrifying wrath.”

“Tell him he made a typo, that’ll piss him off more.”

"Good point." Hai-feng pulls out his phone and shoots off a text.

_me: monnbucks_  
_otabek altin: u shut the fuck up and get ur asses to the swing or i SWEAR TO GOD_

Seung-gil takes a final sip of his cappuccino and nods at Hai-feng, and they amble towards the door. Right before they leave, Hai-feng turns and shouts, “Hey, de la Iglesia!”

Leo freezes at the counter, looking at them with wide eyes. “Uh, yes?”

Both of them smirk dangerously. “See you soon.”

The doorbell chimes as the door swings shut.

Leo stares at them, terrified. _What the hell?? I just can’t place WHERE I’ve seen that expression, and it’s NOT piranha, but it’s just…predatory??! Why do I meet so many scary people!_

********

By the time they get to the swings, Otabek is already there, wearing a black hoodie and contrasting with the colourful swing set. He glowers at Seung-gil and Hai-feng as they calmly stride towards him. 

“Greetings, Altin,” Seung-gil says. “Accidental triplets, huh? Black clothes all around.”

“Explain,” Otabek growls, unamused. “Both of you. Leo.”

“We were just scouting.” Hai-feng raises both hands in mock surrender. “Hey, is he occupied? Does he like guys?”

Otabek folds his arms, unconvinced. “Why should I tell you that? You two of all people should know about privacy. Also, you're the sneakiest people I know. Didn't think he'd be your type, though.”

“Distrust,” Seung-gil nods, solemn. “And for that, and out of respect for privacy, we are unable to divulge the reason why we were scouting.”

“Alright, chill out.” Hai-feng flops onto one of the swings and reaches over to tug at Otabek’s hoodie sleeve. “3-minute truth time. You get to start.” He makes a show of setting a timer on his watch. “Okay, go.”

“Who were you scouting for.”

“A friend of ours who occasionally works with Leo,” Seung-gil answers. “Hai-feng, question.”

“Is Leo in a current relationship, one-sided or otherwise?”

“Crush. Why did your friend ask you to scout.”

“Friendship reasons. Think JJ and Isabella. Seung-gil, question.”

Hai-feng starts to swing properly as Seung-gil says, “Would you assist in getting Leo a partner?”

Otabek scowls. “Only if it’s consensual on his part. Why?”

“Is that the question?” Otabek nods. Seung-gil shrugs.“Our friend is interested. Thinks he’s a real gentleman. Asked us to —” “Wait, wait," Otabek interjects. "If your friend wanted to date a gentleman, Hai-feng’s right here.”

“Thanks,” Hai-feng says, the chains creaking with the force of his swinging. “But you know I’m not a proper gentleman. Our turn. Who’s the crush?”

“Some guy at work. Your friend might know him. Describe your friend.”

“Small Chinese boy who blushes a lot. Around 30 seconds left. How serious is the crush?” Hai-feng’s boots drag across the ground as he speaks, slowing the trajectory. Otabek waves the dust away from his face. “Quite serious. Can I see a picture of the guy?”

“Waste of interrogation time,” Seung-gil comments, passing his phone to Otabek as Hai-feng skids to a stop and shouts, “TIME’S UP!”

Otabek stares at the picture so intently, Hai-feng eventually can’t help but say, “He’s cute, but very much occupied with your roommate, so don’t even think about it.”

“God no. I don’t need a Chinese when I have a Russian.”

“Rude,” Hai-feng sniffs. Otabek shoots him a _why-are-you-like-this-stop-throwing-shade_ look.

“All three of us are blunt to the point of rudeness, we’ve acknowledged this,” Seung-gil sighs, not missing the silent expression communication. “It’s why we’re such good friends. So? Does our friend have a chance, or do we have to break his heart?”

“I don't think heartbreaking will be involved,” Otabek says slowly. “That’s…the guy. That’s his crush.”

There is a period of stunned silence. “…You’re joking, right?” Hai-feng says, disbelief etched all over his face. Otabek shakes his head.

“Well, well, well.” Seung-gil retrieves his phone and puts it away. “I do believe we have an alliance. One more question, though; Leo apparently recognises us?”

“I’m not surprised he recognises you, you’ve been on the news for science stuff. But Hai-feng?”

“Maybe he saw us playing basketball? Or maybe at the music shop getting albums,” Hai-feng shrugs, twisting the chains of the swing and spinning himself like a 5-year-old. “Tbh it doesn’t really matter?”

“Do NOT speak internet in real life,” Seung-gil groans. “I deal with that enough already.”

“Irl,” Hai-feng deadpans.

Otabek pushes him off the swing, cringing dramatically. “Stop.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pLoT fUcKiNg tWiSt. a new alliance group chat has been opened. it ended really chill tho, so that's a good thing? lol
> 
> in case u haven't figured out, seung-gil and hai-feng's dangerous farewell smirks are familiar because otabek has the same expression when he's planning something or just being cheeky. i feel like they'd have a similar personality regarding this.
> 
> also hai-feng is partly based off real life and also alex fierro from the magnus chase series...i just really fucking love alex fierro ok all hail rick riordan 
> 
> next chapter will be a return to leoji FRIENDSHIP interaction, please continue supporting!


	8. f r i e n d s...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> how does one become friends with one's hardcore crush?
> 
> with the threats of two bros, a heroic act, and mutual cuteness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is interaction! social media is always a helpful tool.
> 
> the POVs are quite switchy in this one. hope it's not too confusing.
> 
> please enjoy!

_So I guess we’re friends now, huh?_

Leo sneaks a glance at his new...friend, who is picking up a tray at one of the side tables.

_How do I progress from here??_

_Maybe I should have paid attention when JJ was recounting him and Isabella for the hundredth time…_

The door clinks open, and an exasperated voice says,“…never get tired of retelling your own stories, do you.”

“Well, you never tell me anything about you and Yuri, so I gotta fill this void of relationship talk somehow! Leo! Hi!”

_Speak of the goddamn devil._ “JJ! Otabek!” Leo splutters. “Why are you here?”

“Wanted a coffee. Duh. Also, the pictures aren’t enough any more. We had to come see the guy for ourselves.” Otabek tugs at the v-neck of his shirt and smiles wryly at Leo. “And because JJ wants to play relationship guru.”

JJ gives Leo the big, overdramatic sad puppy eyes. “Are we not welcome?” he pouts. “You’re supposed to be nice to your customers, you know.”

Leo fake-retches, and yet he can’t help but laugh at his expression. Otabek groans. “Stop pouting, it’s disgusting,” he says. “Honestly. How the hell does Isabella put up with such a ridiculous man-child.”

“Don’t expect me to give you free drinks,” Leo grumbles. “I got yelled at last time for that.”

“Really?” JJ frowns. “I thought you were making that up to guilt-trip us for coming. Wait, don’t you get staff benefits?”

“JJ, I’m doing part-time. Of course I don’t have benefits.”

“I’ll have a mocha.” Otabek pushes JJ to the side. “Give this idiot a glass of water. No, give him a glass of ice and tell him to wait.”

“Rude. I want a vanilla frappe.”

Leo rolls his eyes at them. “If I pay for you guys, will you leave me alone and go sit somewhere?”

“Talk to the Chinese guy and you have a deal.” Otabek crosses his arms in a challenging manner. “Otherwise we’ll stand here and pester you until he comes over to kick us out.”

“ _I’ll_ kick you out,” Leo says menacingly. They stare at each other, refusing to back down, until JJ clears his throat very loudly to get their attention.

“As the only person in an active relationship and doesn’t communicate from another continent, I am the most valid person to decide,” he announces. “We will give you 10 minutes to make your move. Otherwise, you will face the consequences when you get home.”

“Fine,” Otabek huffs. “Get a grip, Leo. Or all your heroics will be for nothing.”

********

Guang-hong watches as the tall confident-looking guy saunters up to the counter and greets Leo cheerfully, while a smaller but more intimidating guy sighs loudly behind him.

_Are those…Leo’s friends?!!_

He nearly drops the tray in his hands when Leo makes a face and laughs at whatever they had been saying.

_They look so cool!!_

He turns away hurriedly and starts to scrub the table with increased force, thoughts scattered like dandelion seeds, steam almost pouring out of his ears.

_Oh god, how can I be his friend?? Look at the people he gets along with! The three of them make three different types of cool!! Leo’s the chill surfer type, then there’s the loud one who’s probably the popular type, and then the other one who looks like he could kill with a glance…I mean, ok I’ve got two friends who are kinda like that, but…Leo probably thinks I’m too small, or not cool enough…_

_He said you were cute,_ a voice in his head that sounds very much like Minami whispers to him.

He shakes his head violently, trying to throw the warm recollection off. _It was a fluke! That was a fluke! There’s no way…_

_Wait. How long have I been scrubbing this table for??_

Guang-hong’s head shoots up, only to see that the two guys had sat down on a table near the windows. With their drinks.

_I need to get back to the counter!_ he thinks frantically.

Tray in hand, he scurries to the counter and deposits the contents into the sink, trying to take in deep breaths to reassure himself.

********

Leo narrows his eyes at the pair by the window. They both stick their tongues out in return, and JJ mouths something in his direction. Probably an encouragement…or a threat.

_Initiate conversation? With Guang-hong?? Easier said than done!_

What topics would they even have in common? Given that he was friends with someone like Phichit…

Quickly checking that the cafe was basically completely quiet, Leo pulls out his phone and quickly taps into Phichit’s instagram profile. Sure enough, there were pictures of Guang-hong with him, and they were all tagged.

With some hesitation, Leo clicks into +guanghongji+ ’s profile. God those were some amazing photos. He steals a quick glance at the boy washing up at the sink, and swallows nervously.

And sends him a DM.

********

Guang-hong feels his phone buzz in his pocket, does a quick cursory glance, then wipes his hands on his apron and pulls it out to check the notification.

 

_iglesiadelaleo: hi?_  
_iglesiadelaleo: still up for being friends?_

 

A quick look confirms that, yes, Leo was standing at the counter staring very intently into thin air, one hand clutching his phone tightly.

Guang-hong sends him a follow request, which is accepted and reciprocated immediately. His hands are trembling as he taps out a reply, breath coming out in short staccato bursts.

 

_+guanghongji+: hi!_  
_+guanghongji+: still feel really bad for freaking out that day I’m so sorry…_

 

He can hear Leo’s soft inhale. And then a heavy exhale.

 

_iglesiadelaleo: no worries!! really it’s ok_  
_iglesiadelaleo: it was the right thing to do_  
_iglesiadelaleo: also I gained a friend, so… :)_

 

_CHEESY! DISGUSTINGLY CHEESY!_ Guang-hong screams internally, pressing a hand to his mouth to contain the spreading smile. _I LOVE IT!_

 

_+guanghongji+: aahhh!! I’m glad!!!_

 

_What do people normally ask when they want to become friends?_ Guang-hong wonders. _Hobbies and stuff sound really generic…_

 

_iglesiadelaleo: so what do you normally like to do?_  
_iglesiadelaleo: generic get-to-meet questions :p_

 

_Holy shit. He read my fucking mind._

 

_+guanghongji+: errrrr_  
_+guanghongji+: I like photography?_  
_+guanghongji+: reading?_  
_+guanghongji+: I’m not sure?? how do I not know argh_  
_+guanghongji+: I used to do chinese dance and I loved it but not anymore_  
_iglesiadelaleo: that’s so cool??? why’d you stop??_  
_iglesiadelaleo: I used to do street dance too coincidentally_

 

Guang-hong has a very visceral image of Leo dancing on the street and gaining hordes of fans.

 

_+guanghongji+: that’s cooler_  
_iglesiadelaleo: it’s not cool when you fall on the street and scrape everything_

 

He can’t help it; a small bubble of laughter escapes him, and Leo lets out a soft groan. Guang-hong’s eyes dart to see his expression ( _DID I FUCK IT UP????_ ) but there’s a slight smile on Leo’s face.

 

_iglesiadelaleo: don’t laugh at me!! I am HURT_  
_+guanghongji+: hehe sorry_

 

Behind him, Leo clears his throat, and says, “I actually have scars from doing street dance, you know.”

Guang-hong flushes and spins around to face him. “I stopped doing Chinese dance because of injuries. Also I was the only guy in the class and it got weird.”

Leo grins and holds out his hand. "Friends?"

With a firm shake, Guang-hong happily chirps out, "Friends!"

“So, got any more generic get-to-meet questions we could do?”

********

From afar, JJ snaps a picture of the handshake and says, “Awww. I’m sending that to Isabella.”

Otabek rolls his eyes at him, but says, “Send it to the group. Now all we need to do is to speed things up a little.”

“How?” JJ watches as a devious smirk spreads slowly across Otabek’s face. “You know what, I don’t want to know. Just do it. And I want in.”

“Oh, sure. I think you and Isabella might come in handy at some point.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dundundunnnnn...i haven't actually thought about how they'd speed things up...uhoh...lol 
> 
> on a different tangent, HOLY SHIT HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE NEW OFFICIAL ART. IT IS LETHAL I TELL YOU. DEAR. LORD.
> 
> thank you for supporting thus far! do leave any suggestions!


	9. The Elation of a Blossoming Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Given the amount of fantasising that Guang-hong's had about having any sort of relationship with Leo, the process of actually becoming friends -- steadfast friends -- seems...dream-like.
> 
> But this is the real life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much to say except for: the return of Screaming Hamster Boi
> 
> please enjoy!

“HOW COULD YOU HAVE KEPT THIS FROM ME,” Phichit shrieks into the phone. “THE ONE TIME I GO VISIT MY FAMILY AND SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENS.”

Guang-hong winces, his phone held at arm-length so as to protect his eardrums. “Seung-gil told you, huh?”

There is some brief tussle on the other side of the call, then Phichit shouts, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS HAPPENED TWO DAYS BEFORE MY FLIGHT?! IT’S BEEN TWO WEEKS!”

“Can you put Seung-gil on?”

“ASHKGDAHSFDADJBVLGG —” “Hi, this is Seung-gil. I’m afraid Phichit is currently seconds away from an aneurysm after hearing about your happy little incident.”

Guang-hong can clearly visualise the smirk on Seung-gil’s face. _He’s having so much fun with this, I know it._ “So? What are his plans?”

Brief pause. “I think he’s…sulking? And he is positively fuming. I do think it was a little cruel to withhold this from him, but it was probably necessary. Speaking of which, how’s the friendship been?”

“Absolutely fucking fantastic.” Guang-hong blushes. “I can’t really believe it’s been so easy.”

It had been two weeks from the incident, and one since Leo had first initiated conversation. Guang-hong had scrolled multiple times through his entire account and refrained from liking anything. (Maybe a couple screenshots were taken, but no one needed to know that.) There were posts with the two other guys he’d seen that day, and casual shots of scenery, and skateboarding videos. Everything about him had a relaxed, fun, and life-loving vibe.

Oh, and they had _texted._

The conversations had flowed so smoothly, any initial worries had been squashed to the back of his mind and he was just fully in the element of getting to know a friend. An excellent one.

Sure enough, Leo had managed to dig up more “generic get-to-meet” questions, which had led to little discussions here and there. (The first proper interest rant was the question “What music do you listen to?”, and Guang-hong admitted to never having heard any of Queen’s songs before. Leo had freaked the fuck out, sending him YouTube links and full caps of HOW and YOU HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED OF GENIUSES and BOTH MY ROOMMATES ARE APPALLED HOW CAN YOU. After heavy persuasion and fan-based praise, Guang-hong had downloaded five of their albums that night.) Their most recent discussion had been about musicals and films, and Leo had mentioned The Greatest Showman and how he had been absolutely dying to see it but all his other friends had either already seen it or had no interest in it, and it had been up for ages and it’d probably be taken off screens soon…

Guang-hong might be shy, but if there ever was a HEY-LET’S-GO-SEE-IT hint, that was definitely one.

If it had been Phichit, he would have invited him out immediately. Guang-hong could already see the text messages (“ _hey!! i’m interested toooo!!! wanna go together?!?!?_ ”). On the other hand, it might not have been a hint and he could have completely misread the conversation.

So he’d just replied “ _what a pity!!_ ” and Leo had sent back a “ _:((((( it’s apparently really REALLY good_ ”. They hadn’t texted since.

God, a cool guy who was actually a music nerd. How cute could he get?

“Hello? You still there?” Seung-gil says, calm as ever, snapping Guang-hong out of the tsunami of emotions within him. “Right, I’m gonna hand you back to Phichit. He’s got loads to say to you.”

“No, wait —!” “Ji. Guang. Hong. You better listen up or I will kick your ass to Pluto,” Phichit hisses menacingly into the phone. “Now, tell me exactly what the hell happened.”

“You sound like a mom,” Guang-hong sighs, rolling his eyes fondly even though Phichit couldn’t see it. “Fine, make me re-live that horror all over again…”

*********

“In conclusion, you’re now friends.”

“Well, yeah…”

Phichit lets out a low whistle, and a series of barks can be heard in the background. “This is the best ‘how I met your mother’ story I have ever heard.”

“Phichit,” Guang-hong squeaks, voice cracking in embarrassment. “Don’t say that!”

“You better get around to asking him to see The Greatest Showman,” Phichit groans. “How could you pass out on such an opportunity? When’s the next time your work shifts overlap? I vaguely know your schedule, but not his, obviously. I’ll come over and gush about it.”

“No,” Guang-hong says firmly. “No thank you.”

_How do you expect me to go to the movies with Leo! ALONE!!_

********

Scrolling through his timeline, Guang-hong discovers that even Minami has been involved in the #greatestshowman heat wave. (He’s made 6 posts praising the movie.)  
  
So he does the next logical thing, which is to text him and open up a new tab to look at reviews.

 _me: is greatest showman really THAT good??_  
_me: so many people have watched it and screamed it_  
_MinaKen: OMGGGG YESSSSSS_  
_MinaKen: YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT_  
_MinaKen: it’s like cheesy?? but the good kind_  
_MinaKen: and the songs are Such A Bop_

 _+guanghongji+: one of my friends called the songs from greatest showman “Such A Bop”_  
_iglesiadelaleo: lol he’s not wrong_  
_iglesiadelaleo: you gonna watch it?_

Guang-hong can hear Phichit shouting “HERE’S YOUR CHANCE SEIZE IT BY THE NECK AND TAKE!! IT!! JUMP IT LIKE YOU JUMPED HIM!!!”, and mentally locks him into a steel box.

 _+guanghongji+: mmhhhhh_  
_+guanghongji+: may…be…??_  
_iglesiadelaleo: oh shit i haven’t found anyone to watch it with yet_  
_iglesiadelaleo: I WILL GO ALONE IF I HAVE TO_  
_+guanghongji+: sacrifice for the music_  
_iglesiadelaleo: we have a shift in like an hour_  
_iglesiadelaleo: not rush hour, thank god_  
_iglesiadelaleo: talk to you then…?_  
_+guanghongji+: ??!?! I FORGOT WE HAD A SHIFT TODAY OMG_

The last tine they had a shift together, it was rush hour and it was horrible as usual. Orders everywhere, delicate manoeuvres in the limited work space, spills and loud noises…

Guang-hong shudders, remembering all the times there had been difficult customers and terrifying situations. _So glad that Nick arranges shifts so we have equal rush and non-rush time._

The steel box rattles excitedly inside his brain, with a faint chanting of "TALK TO YOU THEN, HE SAID. YOU WILL TALK. I COMMAND IT."

_+guanghongji+: yeah see you!!_

*********

When Guang-hong Phichit is there, finishing off a chocolate pastry.

_Why is Phichit here??_

“Yo!” Phichit smiles, engulfing him in a hug. “Came by to see you! Got the timing wrong, though.”

Guang-hong claws weakly at him. “Can’t…breathe…”

“I saw a couple Greatest Showman posters on my way here,” Phichit says over the sound of Guang-hong gasping for air. “You really not going for it? It’s so good.”

The entrance door slams shut loudly, and Leo announces, “I AM GOING!”

Phichit spins around, eyes shining in fervour. “IT’S SO GOOD, HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE SOUNDTRACK?!!”

Looking back and forth between the two of them, Guang-hong experiences extreme confusion.

_I guess them becoming friends was to be expected…given Phichit’s personality, too. After all, Phichit texted him first._

“My roommates have been playing it nonstop.” Leo’s complaints are muffled by him pulling his apron past his head. “It’s so annoying, but it’s so good, I hate them so much. It's massive spoilers. They have no respect.”

“Nothing beats The King and The Skater, though.”

“The King and The —?” “DON’T,” Guang-hong pleads, clapping a hand over Phichit’s mouth and looking imploringly at Leo. “You’ll regret it. I swear on my life. Next thing you know he’ll have pulled out a powerpoint. And you,” he pushes Phichit towards the exit as he attempts to lick Guang-hong’s hand. “Get out. I have to work. Text you later. Bye.”

Phichit successfully licks his hand ("Ew! What are you, five?") and waves goodbye to Leo, and he’s gone.

“The King and The Skater?” Leo repeats, looking very confused. Guang-hong groans.

“Very, very long story,” he says. “Will explain over the duration of the next, oh, two hours or so.”

Leo looks mildly terrified, but it’s the intrigued kind, not the shocked confused kind. “You’ll probably get bored after like five minutes.” Guang-hong shrugs, inwardly smiling at his reaction. Leo shakes his head. “Nah, I won’t,” he says, shrugging back.

“I’m sure I’ll be interested in whatever you say.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not a spon for 1) Queen and 2) The Greatest Showman
> 
> but
> 
> who would've thought wolverine and troy bolton make such a dynamic duo
> 
> truly a celebration of humanity.
> 
> I'm not actually sure how many chapters this fic will have btw...maybe 20? but that's just an estimation. i guess we'll see how well the interference goes...


	10. #TGSmovie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King and the Skater. Minami. Friends doing friend things.
> 
> It is not a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep, you guessed it, more spon for the greatest showman...i'm salty they didn't win best motion picture for golden globes tbh.
> 
> hello, minami, your cuteness is terrifying.

The words don’t fully sink in, but when they do, the room grows about 10 degrees hotter.

(They’re too busy blushing and neither of them see Phichit with his face and phone pressed against the window.)

Leo clears his throat nervously. “So…what IS The King and The Skater?”

The other boy pulls his own apron over his head, muffling his reply and covering his face. “W-well, um, it’s a trilogy, and it’s based in Thailand…”

********

“Wait, I’m sorry,” Leo interrupts, looking extremely disapproving. It makes Guang-hong laugh. “He goes away _again_??”

“Well, yeah,” Guang-hong shrugs. “He’s fallen in love with figure skating, but obviously it’s way too hot in Thailand with only a few rinks, so he has to go find professionals to properly introduce his people to it instead of just taking blindly to the ice.”

It had taken them half an hour to get to the sequel, occasionally stopping to actually serve the rare few who had wandered in for a drink. This was because Leo was being extremely critical of the film.

Which, in his own defence, was completely justified.

“This series makes no sense,” Leo declares, not for the first time.

“They’re set in a universe where the world is at peace and people are lovely, deal with it,” Guang-hong shoots back, also not for the first time. “You agreed with me when I had to explain why no riots happened in the King’s absence!”

“Because there was no other logical explanation! Like, I am all down for weird alternate dimensions, but if this is based off actual Thailand without, I dunno, superpowers or something, shouldn’t it be more realistic?”

Guang-hong groans and tips his head back. “Superpowers. So American. It’s a MOVIE. You should be glad it’s not Phichit you’re talking to, otherwise you would be so screwed for dissing his all-time favourite.”

Before Leo can retort, the doorbell chimes and a sparkly-eyed boy with a red tuft of fringe barrels into the cafe, skidding comically to a halt in front of the counter.

“JI GUANG-HONG,” he shrieks excitedly. Leo stares at him, taken-aback by the amount of enthusiasm radiating from the (rather hyperactive) boy. “I HAVE JUST REWATCHED THE GREATEST SHOWMAN WITH YAN. C’MON, YOU HAVE TO GO SEE IT!!!!!!”

Guang-hong hasn’t even opened his mouth to reply when the boy whips his head around and makes eye-contact with Leo, who at this point is reminded forcefully of his first ( _super embarrassing, dear gOD_ ) encounter with Phichit. “You must be Leo!!!” The boy waves happily at him. “I’m Minami Kenjirou! I was here the other day, you were super nice!!”

“You were here more than two weeks ago.” Guang-hong smacks him on the head, to which Minami sticks his tongue out and rubs his head petulantly. “Stop using ‘the other day’ for everything.”

“Sshhhhh. Ok I didn’t run in here to chat, well I did, but first I need the bathroom. I’ll be back!!” Minami ( _is he Japanese…?_ ) whizzes off in a blur, leaving Leo blinking in surprise, gaping after him. “I didn’t even introduce myself properly. Are all your friends like this? Rapid-fire excitement?”

“Only when they’re hyped about something. But you’ve met the two most easily-excited ones, so that’s a bad first impression.” Guang-hong rolls his eyes, but it’s fond. “You kinda get used to it after a bit.”

_Wow,_ Leo thinks, half in shock and half in awe. _They’re like happiness machine guns. Phichit is Thai, isn’t he? And then the guy just now, Minami, he sounds Japanese. Is it a cultural thing? None of my friends get THIS hyper._

_Okay, that’s not true. JJ gets pretty hyper, but he’s more a big annoying puppy. Those two are bubbly as hell. And Otabek doesn’t have that much physical excitement. If anything I doubt people who aren’t his friends can tell even when he’s actually excited in something…_

_Oh my god. Does Guang-hong have this ultra-sunshiney-excited side too?? That is adorable?? I need to see it. Add to must-do list: draw extreme excitement out of Guang-hong…_

********

_How thrown off did he get from sensory overload?_ Guang-hong wonders, stifling a laugh at Leo’s frozen surprised face. _Don’t blame him. It’s cute though._

Minami returns whistling and winks over-exaggeratedly at him.

_What…?_

*********

A loud “AHEM!” snaps Leo out of his thought process of _what would make Guang-hong excited_ and he looks up to see Minami with a huge smile on his face.

On the other hand, Guang-hong looks extremely suspicious.

_What…did I miss…??_

Before anyone can say anything, Minami says, “Has anyone told you that I work at a cinema?”

Leo blinks at him, nonplussed.

“Well, I work at a cinema. And since I’ve heard that neither of you have seen the miracle masterpiece that is The Greatest Showman, I now offer you two tickets for it! Because I get benefits and I can get two tickets at half-price once a month. And since you’re NEWLY friends, it’s about time you start doing friend stuff! What a perfect opportunity!”

Guang-hong flushes all the way down to his collar. “MINAMI KENJIROU!”

Minami shrugs, the perfect picture of innocence. “It’s a great way to start off a nice chain of hang-out events. Go to the movies, get some food after, delve into a nice discussion about the movie. Why not? Leo, what do you think?”

_What do I think? I think it sounds like the plan for a first date! I’m not ready!_

Instead, he stutters, “I-I can’t take those tickets off you, they’re your hard work!”

“Aww, shucks, you’re so nice. It’s okay! I’m willing to sacrifice for Guang-hong’s friendships!” Minami leans forwards and whispers conspiratorially, “Little Guang-hong here isn’t the bravest, you know? He’s not like me or Phichit. We gotta push him along somehow.”

“I’m seven months older than you are, dipshit,” Guang-hong hisses, still very red. “You need to learn how to whisper.”

“Hey, I’m just telling the truth. Anyway, any friend of yours is a friend of mine.” Despite being reprimanded, Minami flashes Leo the happiest toothy grin. “So? Are you interested?”

_HELL YEAH I AM!!!_ his heart screams.

He says, “Uh…”

Minami’s expression falls so quickly it’s almost comical, but mostly sad. It’s like looking at a kicked puppy.

“You don’t want to watch it with Guang-hong?” he mumbles, tugging at his sleeves, almost tearful. “He’s a good movie buddy, I promise —”

“No,” Guang-hong interrupts him, looking almost in pain. “Minami, stop. Leo, you don’t have to. Just because he’s flashing puppy eyes. I get it, I really do.”

Leo just wants to hug him forever, his eyes are so sad. Their eyes are so sad.

_How could I not want to! Idiot!_

“No, you don’t,” he blurts out, heart hammering. “I would love to watch it with you!”

Minami’s head shoots up and he practically starts to vibrate, but Leo doesn’t notice, because he’s watching Guang-hong. Who is biting his lip and his eyes are beginning to sparkle.

Leo kind of feels like swooning.

“…Really?” Guang-hong fidgets and his eyes flicker around, never once looking directly at Leo. “Are you sure? I mean…”

_God, I am about to have a heart attack._ “Yes,” Leo says firmly, taking a step forward. There really isn’t much space behind the counter; one step renders them less than an arm’s length from each other. “I’d love to.”

_Casual friends, new friends, we’re just friends, I’ve been to the movies with friends before, notadatenotadate **notadatenotadate**_

Minami looks like a little kid in a candy shop.

The slow but adorable smile making its way across Guang-hong’s face, despite his valiant attempts to restrain it, is worth every single moment of awkwardness or embarrassment Leo has encountered thus far.

He has to lean on the counter in case his legs give out.

“Okay,” Guang-hong murmurs, soft like a petal. “Minami, please can you tell us the show times?”

“Of course,” Minami says, as triumphant as an Olympic medalist. “Two for the Showman, comin’ right up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're both screaming. bc they're both precious. what else is new.
> 
> phichit isn't the only interfering lil asshole...so's his bf and his friends. guess we'll see...


	11. The Not-Date: a Prelude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's in store for their seemingly innocent trip?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nope this isn't the proper trip. it's a filler chapter.
> 
> originally wanted this to be ch 10.5 but ao3 wouldn't let me type that?? minor annoyance, but okay...
> 
> now we see how the other people react to this earth-shattering event.
> 
> sorry to disappoint...?

The rapid-fire knocks at the door rouse Gongju, who starts to bark at the source of noise irritation.

“Don’t tell me no one’s home!” Minami groans, fists pounding impatiently, ignoring the yips of excited husky from inside the apartment. “I need to deliver this in person!”

The door opens, and Minami is faced with a very unkempt and pissed-off Seung-gil. “Yeah, ketchup boy?” he growls. The apartment is dark behind him. “You better be dying of cancer or something, otherwise —”

“GUANG-HONG’S GOT A DATE WITH LEO,” he blurts out in a quick stream, eyes wide and tripping over his own feet while backing away. “THAT’S IT I’LL TALK TO YOU LATER BYE I’M SORRY I’M SOR—”

There is the sound of someone falling out of bed, and Seung-gil is yanked out of the way, replaced by an equally dishevelled Phichit with maniacally gleaming eyes.

“What the _fuck_ ,” he whispers. “You can’t be serious?”

Minami nods so quickly that something cricks in his neck. “I gave them tickets to see The Greatest Showman!”

The gears click in Phichit’s brain, his hands shoot up to his face, and he lets out a short explosive shriek.

Behind him, Seung-gil groans in sync with his husky’s pained whining.

********

“Minami you HAVE to give me a ticket to their exact same show. You HAVE TO!”

“No can do. I’m not giving you freebies. Nuh-uh.”

Seung-gil emerges from the bedroom fully dressed, and Phichit whips his head around. “Seungie! Threaten him! I NEED to see this!!”

“You don’t _need_ to do anything.” He clips a collar around Gongju’s neck, leash in hand, not looking once in their direction. “I’m taking her for a walk. Text me when you’re done being such a gossip queen.”

Footsteps trail down the hallway, and Minami gulps, fear written over his face. “I…did not expect this consequence.”

Phichit shrugs. “I’m upset at the interruption too, but let’s face it, he’s just being a massive drama queen. As per usual. Anyway.” He grabs Minami’s shoulders and begins to shake him. “GIVE! ME! A! TICKET! SO I CAN SPY ON THEM! KENJIRO!”

********

Seung-gil tosses a stick across the field and watches as Gongju sprints after it, yapping like a puppy.

 _Damn you, Kenjiro,_ he thinks resentfully. _What kind of fucking terrible timing? Even though you come bearing good news…_

He digs his phone out of his pocket. Rapidly types out a message.

The chat group’s name is “Alliance”.

 _me: Apparently there has been relationship development_  
_Altin: so i’ve heard_  
_Altin: are we moving on with the plan?_  
_Feng: WHOA WAIT WHAT_  
_me: Movie date._  
_Feng: ???!! but also: hell yeahhhhhhhh_  
_Feng: we are doing That we have to_  
_Altin: i’m on it_  
_Altin: this is gonna be great_  
_Feng: this is gonna be Fucking Awesome_  
_me: Either type with correct capitalisation or not at all, Victory Peak_  
_Feng: w0w it’s like i have no idea who ur talking about, promised luck_  
_Altin: gold_  
_me: How enlightening. Get on with it._

“I am surrounded by idiots,” Seung-gil grumbles.

Gongju nudges his leg with her nose, the stick laid neatly next to his shoe, and he drops to rub her ears as her tail wags happily.

“You are the best idiot in my life,” he tells her very seriously.

She licks his nose, and he laughs.

********

“Whatever it is, we can do it,” JJ announces, squeezing Isabella’s hand. “No one can beat the best partner in the world!”

Isabella kisses his cheek.

“Awww,” Otabek deadpans, completely unimpressed. “It’s like I’m not here.”

“Okay, real talk.” JJ leans forward, anticipation gleaming in his eyes. “What do we gotta do?”

With a growing air of mischief, Otabek tells them the plan.

JJ grins madly and Isabella lets out a low whistle.

Otabek leans back, a satisfied smirk on his face. "They won't know what hit them, am I right?"

"Nope." JJ high-fives him. "The king will prevail. Storm's a-comin'."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wonder what minami interrupted...
> 
> the trip to the cinema will be next! finally, some jjbella. the king demands the spotlight. unfortunately it shall be swung away from him...
> 
> thank you for supporting thus far, please continue to do so as well!
> 
> edit: i totally forgot to do this. if u go back to seung-gil's gc, there's the bit about victory peak/ victory road/ gold. victory peak is 凱峯 (hai-feng, chinese), victory road is seung-gil (that's a guess but i think it's right?? 勝路？？does anyone know korean) and gold is altin in kazakh (i learned this from tumblr lol). but in asia almost no one tries to translate their own names word for word bc it's practically impossible lol so it's just a bit of a joke between them
> 
> guang-hong is lucky to have such a fucking pretty name...goddamn yoi creators paying attention to detail
> 
> sorry if there was mild confusion!
> 
> EDIT 29/4/2018: i have managed to acquire a translated ver of the official yoi fanbook and it says seung-gil's name is 李承吉, which roughly translates to something like "promised luck"? so i was completely wrong and have corrected the text. it's only one line, so it's not really a big deal, but it was a small annoying detail...soz guys, just making it clear!


	12. Tickets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they settle in for a grand ol musical movie, there is an intervention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm surprised at the massive rise of hits after valentines day...thank you everyone who's stayed thus far!
> 
> here's some proper leoji interaction...

_What the hell should I wear??_

“You’ve been standing in front of your wardrobe for a whole hour,” Otabek points out. “There’s clothes all over the floor and you’re supposed to be leaving in, like, three minutes. Is it that hard to pick an outfit?”

Leo resists the urge to march over and shake him. “You wear the exact same outfit every day,” he argues. “How many white shirts do you even have? Ever heard of a creative little thing called variation?”

“I’m not wearing a white shirt right now. Anyway. Just wear that yellow t-shirt, the one with a white guitar on, and grab a pair of jeans. That’s nice.”

“I don’t need you to be my fashion consultant,” Leo says even as he pulls on said t-shirt. “Shit, I’m gonna be late. Just shove everything back into the closet for me. Bye!”

“Have fun,” Otabek calls after him. “Use protection.”

“SHUT UP.”

********

_What the hell is he wearing? That is unfair!_

“Hi!” Guang-hong waves at him from afar, one hand shoving his phone into the back pocket of his skinny white jeans. His shoes are a tattered pair of Converse high-tops. “You’re early!”

“So are you,” Leo shoots back. “Are you wearing a sweater?”

He is, in fact, wearing a sweater. An overlarge pink one with a large smiley teddy bear on it. It iss unfairly adorable.

“I’ve got a shirt under it. The cinema is pretty chilly.” Guang-hong shrugs. “I hope you have a jacket.”

“Uh, I have a plaid in my bag? I feel really underdressed now.”

 _We’re matching Converses,_ Leo thinks slightly giddily. _I should have worn something else, he looks so nice…_

“Do you eat popcorn? Minami gave me coupons. I told him it was fine, but he insisted.”

“Oh, wow. I really need to thank him properly. Shall we go in? We can just sit comfortably for half an hour.”

“Yeah!”

********

Guang-hong is getting their tickets when Leo sees them.

_Huh. What are the odds that I’d bump into JJ and Isabella having a date?_

“All sorted! Wanna go get snacks?”

“Oh, um, yeah.” Leo turns around, a bit confused. “Sorry I spaced out, I just saw one of my friends. Sheer coincidence.”

“Oh.” Guang-hong tips his head to the side. “You gonna go say hi?”

“Oh, no no no. Look over there. The tall guy in purple. No, next to the Black Panther ad. Look at them. I don’t want to interrupt. Let’s go before either of them see me.”

Guang-hong stares at them talking in the distance. Watches as JJ throws an arm around Isabella’s shoulders, who nuzzles his shoulder in return. Easy affection.

“Guang-hong?”

He blinks. His eyes are glazed over. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

********

As Leo slides into their row of seats, holding a small popcorn, he says, “Why on earth do you prefer salted, again?”

“The original tastes best! Caramel is way too sweet, you’re gonna get cavities.”

“Well, rock-paper-scissors, and I won, so if I’m getting cavities, so are you.”

Guang-hong sticks his tongue out at him as they sit down. “I’m only getting caramel this once. What a waste of perfectly popped corn.”

Leo throws a kernel at him. “I can’t finish this by myself!” “Never said you had to! I’m just saying that caramel is sickly sweet and smells weird and I don’t understand why you like it!” Guang-hong picks the kernel off his jeans and flicks it back at him. Leo leans forward and it falls perfectly into his mouth.

“Ooh. Again,” Guang-hong says, reaching over to grab another and flicking it into the air. Leo catches it obligingly. The wide-eyed reaction he gets is well-worth another performance.

Over and over he catches popcorn in midair, until he catches Guang-hong grinning and realises. “Wait, I’ve eaten eleven! You sneaky little —”

“Ha,” he says, finally popping one into his own mouth. He makes a face. “Blegh, it’s still way too sweet.”

“Keep bad-mouthing caramel popcorn and I will fight you,” Leo says.

Guang-hong squints at him. “I’d like to see you try with this many witnesses.”

Leo raises his eyebrows and looks around the room. “What, that old man and those two girls? How menacing.”

“…little do you know I am trained in the ancient arts of the Shaolin temple, rival to Bruce Lee!”

Leo looks at him and bursts into laughter. “That’s the pose for Thai boxing. Did you even try?”

“No,” Guang-hong admits, dropping his arms and looking around. “When I was a kid, I picked a fight at a park and I started crying before they even hit me. It was really stupid. Seriously though, where are all the people?”

“Greatest Showman’s been out for quite a while I guess? Most people have probably seen it already. Hence the extreme hype. Can we get back to that? You picked a fight?”

Guang-hong grins, sheepish. “The guy was twice my size and picking on a stray cat. I hit him and burst into tears before he even hit me back. Dumb, right?” “No?? Wow. That’s amazing. I’m not being sarcastic. The fact that you stood up for a stray animal…” Leo shakes his head. “I’m impressed, I really am. I swear I’m not being sarcastic.”

A pink sleeve is lifted up to a pink face and chewed on. Guang-hong ducks his head, suddenly bashful.

No one could’ve predicted what happened next, because a few rows behind them came the loud, upset complaint of, “YOU TOLD ME YOU’D BE FREE THAT DAY!”

_That’s Isabella. Uh-oh. That means JJ is in some deep shit._

“Babe, I’m sorry,” JJ pleads. “I didn’t expect my mother to suddenly announce a visit either! It was completely out of the blue, I swear!”

Isabella groans. “Do you know how hard to get these tickets were?! And they were expensive, as well! I wanted to go with you, it looks interesting!”

There’s a small tug on Leo’s sleeve, and he turns to see Guang-hong, wide-eyed and watching the drama unfold. “What happened?” he whispers. “They were being really sweet before! Besides, when did they come in??”

Leo shrugs. “I think his girlfriend has tickets to something but he suddenly can’t go,” he whispers back. “I can’t see what the tickets are for though…”

Guang-hong leans forward, squints at her waving hand, and lets out a gasp.

“What is it?”

“It’s that underground expo!!” Guang-hong sees Leo’s confused face and lets out another shocked gasp. “You haven’t heard?! It’s got super-limited tickets and they’re _so_ expensive, the expo has mafia exploration, weaponry and infiltration, all kinds of cool stuff! It’s not just underground criminals, they also have spy tech, and I’ve heard that they have a twenty-minute simulation thing where you go in as a two, and you’re part of a gang, and you’re under attack by enemies —”

“ — Whoa, slow down,” Leo cuts him off. “I never would have thought that you were interested in that kind of dark stuff.”

To his surprise, and mild alarm, the other boy is on the verge of tears. “It’s a mild obsession, but that’s not the point! One ticket is, like, one month’s salary on our part-time pay, and I wanted to go so badly but no one else thought it was worth that much and I didn’t want to go alone so I gave up, and I’m so jealous because they’ve got tickets but they’re not even going!!” He hiccups and shoves a bunch of popcorn in his mouth, chewing loudly and blinking away his tears ( _of excitement? Of sadness? What??_ ).

Leo chews his lip. Hesitates. His eyes dart between Guang-hong’s tightly clenched fists and twitchy pout. He listens to JJ’s whiny apologies and Isabella’s upset scolding.

He turns and shouts, “Hey, JJ! Heard your voice, loser!”

Both of them pause and look over. JJ immediately sits up. “Hey, Leo! Fancy seeing you here! You here alone?”

“Nah, I’m with a friend,” Leo replies. He can hear Guang-hong’s soft inhale, and smiles to himself. “Hi, Isabella!”

Isabella smiles at him. “I’ve told you to just call me Bella, haven’t I?”

Leo shrugs. “Your full name suits you more. Say, I kinda heard that JJ wasn’t free for a thing?”

“Oh, yes. This absolute twat,” Isabella shoots him a dirty look, immune to JJ's kicked-puppy eyes, “promised to go to the underground exhibition with me, but now he says his parents are coming in so he can’t go. I mean, I got these tickets from a friend, so I’m more upset with him than anything.”

“Well, it’s a pity to waste those tickets. I know a very eager taker…”

Guang-hong peers over the seat, eyes darting between Leo and the couple a few rows up. His eyes are shining. Leo pretends not to notice. “…so, if you can’t go, there’s no point wasting, right?”

Isabella raises her eyebrows at him, but it’s a playful expression. “I could sell this for big bucks, you know.”

JJ pretends to zip his mouth shut and inches closer to Isabella. Leo nods at him. “I suppose he has no say in this matter?”

“Third-person parties will not be tolerated. Except for, oh, I dunno, that cute boy next to you, maybe. Hi~!”

Guang-hong squeaks and sinks back into his seat, embarrassed. Isabella sighs in resignation. “Worth a try. Fine, Leo, you can have them. But you owe me.”

“Really?!? Thanks a bunch, ‘bella!! See ya at home, JJ, you ditching bastard. Enjoy the film!” Leo jumps up, reaches for the tickets, throws them a wink, and jumps back into his seat as if nothing had happened. “Hey, Guang-hong, guess what?”

The boy lets out a hysterical giggle and rubs the heels of his palms against his eyes. “This is a fucking dream, I swear.”

Leo can’t help but laugh. “Should I pinch you?”

“Noooo. Oh my _god_. You will not _believe_ how awesome the exhibition is, I can’t wait to go —”

“Wait, _we’re_ going? I fully intended you to get a friend.”

Guang-hong’s face falls. “You’re not interested? Since you got me the tickets, I thought…”

“O-oh. I assumed you’d be more interested to go with someone else…”

They stare at each other, confused.

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Isabella sighs behind them. “Just go together, will you?”

The lights dim and an ad begins to run. Leo can almost see the heat radiating from their faces.

_Well, at least I successfully got him excited. And I feel like I’m gonna see more. I am going to explode._

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the oscar goes to...jjbella!!!
> 
> isabella immediately approves of guang-hong. 10/10 adorable. i didn't expect this chapter to get this long lol
> 
> NO POPCORN HATE PLS, I DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN POPCORN DISCOURSE, I DISLIKE POPCORN ON A WHOLE BECAUSE IT GIVES ME HEADACHES. if u have any opinions then feel free tho
> 
> not sure if we'll go straight to the expo? or there might be some mild (positive) freaking out first. wait and find out...


	13. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guang-hong talks to Phichit, JJ reports on his mission, and Otabek talks to Yuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> expo will be the chapter after this one. this is mainly just a reflection of plan phase 1. 
> 
> please enjoy!

“How was it??! You _have_ to have loved it. Firstly, excellent movie. Secondly, excellent partner. Fuckin’ Kenjirou wouldn’t give me tickets to sneak on you, can you believe that? Hello? You there?”

“You’re not even giving me a chance to talk,” Guang-hong grumbles, flopping on his bed. “ _Hello_ , Phichit. How have you _been_. That’s _wonderful_. I’ve been _great_ thank you.”

“Pffff, I was the one who called. I am fully entitled to initiate immediate conversation. So? How was it?”

“It was a literal dream. Okay, the movie was really awesome, I can see why it’s so popular. DON’T YOU START, LET ME SPEAK. I downloaded the soundtrack yesterday. Oh! I have to tell you this, he is an _abomination_ , he likes caramel popcorn, I am _disgusted_. Not the point. We got out of the theatre, right, and it was pretty late by then, and it was awkward because all we’d planned was the movie, but who the hell only goes to a movie on a day out? So we just kinda walked around and then we stumbled into this weekend market thing and —”

Guang-hong has to stop to catch his breath, staring at the ceiling with starry eyes from the recollection. Phichit takes the opportunity to start talking. “Really? Caramel? You might want to reconsider your tastes. Also, HELL YEAH I TOLD YOU IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE, I HOPE YOU GUYS HAD A MOMENT WHEN THEY PLAYED 'REWRITE THE STARS', I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS FOR —” “Alright, shut up, shut up, shut UP,” Guang-hong shouts over Phichit’s rambling.

Phichit stays silent for all of three seconds before the excitement overtakes him. “So, the weekend market thing?”

“Yeah, it was so cool! We wandered around and talked about the movie, then he told me about Hugh Jackman’s sad singing aspirations. It’s like, a director says ‘hey, c’mere and punch this guy and be all scary and stuff’ but Hugh really quietly goes ‘I just wanna sing’. Like I know he’s all buff and intimidating but apparently he’s just a nerd who likes music. So cute. Not the point! The weekend market was super cool, there were loads of stalls, and I swear this guy has a caramel obsession because he bought 2 pounds of caramel fudge and ate like half of it while we were walking. He said really guiltily “I just like sweet things a lot”, which doesn’t justify anything AND is really cute, I hate it.”

He giggles at the ridiculous memory of Leo looking like he’d achieved enlightenment when he’d spotted the fudge stall. Phichit lets out a noise. “He likes sweet things, but is fit as hell? How unfair is that? Yuuri would be so jealous.”

“I _know_ , right? Phichit, I haven’t even told you about the best part yet. I’ve been holding out because it…still doesn’t seem quite real to me…”

“Oh. My. God. Ok. Deep breaths, chill out, you can do this. Say it.”

Guang-hong rolls over to his side to stare at the ticket on his desk, face flushed and breath coming short. “Phichit, he managed to get tickets for the underground expo.”

There is some silence.

Then there is an unholy high-pitched screech.

“HOW,” Phichit yells. “WHAT THE FUCK.”

“I KNOW!”

“GODDAMNIT, TELL ME THE FULL STORY! OH MY GOD.”

********

After hanging up on Phichit, Guang-hong buries his face in his pillow, head spinning like a top.

_How has any of this been real?_

He unlocks his phone and clicks into his DMs.

_iglesaidelaleo: see u next tue_   
_iglesiadelaleo: don’t forget the shift this time lol_   
_+guanghongji+ : asdfdjshfk it was ONE TIME_

He snatches up the ticket, which is already quite wrinkly from his constant grabbing, and squints suspiciously at it.

_This can’t be real. But it is._

_Oh my god, I am going to the underground expo with Leo de la Iglesia._

Guang-hong grabs his teddy bear, gives it a good shake, and screams.

********

“How’d it go?”

“Super smoothly.” JJ nudges Isabella. “It was highly convincing, right?”

Isabella snorts. “Would have been less convincing if you hadn’t ACTUALLY ditched me for your mother once,” she says. “I’m still pissed about that, by the way. Especially since I was going on an exchange to Shanghai for two months directly after.”

Otabek clears his throat pointedly as JJ opens his mouth to retort. “I don’t care about your lovers’ spat,” he says dryly. “Please just tell me how successful you were and let me go in peace.”

“Yeah, yeah, you get a video call in twenty. Okay. So we followed the script down to the line, and we were lucky that the theatre was relatively empty, because we got to make a commotion without much trouble. Anyway, as we expected, Leo fell for the bait and got the tickets. Say, where’d you get them again?”

“I know a guy who knows a guy.” Otabek shrugs. “We’ve got our methods, don’t question them.”

“You have weird friends,” Isabella says. “It is somewhat terrifying.”

“Honestly, they would take both those statements as a compliment. Next phase is at the actual expo itself. Thanks for your work, guys.”

JJ salutes him. “Helping out friends is very JJ-style! And the plan is definitely going to work excellently!”

********

“That plan is so _dumb_ ,” Yuri says with his usual eloquence. “Can’t your friend just man up and ask the other guy out?”

Otabek blinks at his phone. “I came riding up on my motorcycle hoping you’d think it was cool, and _this_ is dumb?” “Bleh,” Yuri spits out. “Not the same. I feel like your friends are way overthinking it.”

“Mm. Maybe. Either way, we’ll see how it plays out. It was worth a shot anyway.”

“Aah. Katsudon’s been blabbing on about one of his friends being involved in relationship drama too, and of course stupid Victor is being all interested and offering advice and shit. I did as you asked, though, and listened in on their talking.” Yuri fake-gags. “You would have thought they’re still in their honeymoon period. Gross.”

 _Yeah…they’re probably the type to never outlive that period, though._ “I think it’s cute,” Otabek tells him.

“You won’t think it’s cute when you see it everyday,” Yuri grumbles. “It’s like they’re rubbing it in my face. Ohoho, we get to see each other all the time and you can’t do that! How miserable! _Mwah_. Ughhhh.”

“You want me to call you more?”

“Don’t you start,” Yuri hisses. “I’ll book a surprise flight again just to scare the shit out of you.”

“Yeah, no. Please don’t. I don’t want Victor to call the police again. So? Any general courting advice that I can transfer on to my friend?”

The image jostles as Yuri sets his phone down and grabs a sheet of notes. “Otabek, you’re secretly too nice. Ok, here’s some stuff he said…”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, some much needed otayuri there.
> 
> anyway, there will be some action at the expo, but I'm not so good at describing actions, so please do tell me if anything seems awkward or makes no sense.
> 
> thank you for your continued support!


	14. EXPO: pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the expo is here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH IT'S BEEN 2 WEEKS SINCE I LAST UPLOADED. I'M SO SORRY. i had a lot of work, and then i hit a slump, and i started a new series which i shouldn't have, then ive been sick for the past few days. which are all bullcrap excuses. SO. there's good news and bad news. bad news is there'll probably be a 2-week gap before i update again bc of immense workload. good news is it'll be the easter holidays after 2 weeks, so i'll be able to write more. i can't guarantee any of those things.
> 
> OK OFF WE GO

_+guanghongji+: ?? can’t see you_  
_iglesiadelaleo: ???? i’m right there???_  
_+guanghongji+: oh wait_  
_+guanghongji+: DAMMIT THERE’S TWO BAKERIES IN THIS STATION I TOTALLY FORGOT_  
_+guanghongji+: sorry sorry sorry I’m coming over now_  
_iglesiadelaleo: ! it’s ok lol_

Soon enough, a head of mousy brown hair emerges from the crowd and dashes towards Leo.

“Oh my god,” Guang-hong pants, completely out of breath. “The other one is completely opposite this one! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay, catch your breath. We’ve got plenty of time still.”

Leo just…can’t even. Guang-hong is wearing a gorgeous long black coat, collar and cuffs lined elegantly in white, and an olive shirt with “YOU CAN’T SEE ME” splattered across the front in glittery black letters. The two don’t really go together, and the coat is too big for him; the sleeves go way past his fingers, and the hem reaches his knees.

But he still looks amazing. And he even fits the theme.

Meanwhile Leo is wearing a black hoodie with “BOO” printed in block white along both sleeves, cargo pants, and a brown shirt with a donut on it.

 _I am not taking my hoodie off, and I am never listening to JJ, ever again, if he tells me to wear something bright I’ll go and put on a black bodysuit,_ Leo vows secretly.

Out loud, he says, “I like your coat.”

Guang-hong spins gleefully, the coat fanning out around him. “Me too. Unfortunately it’s not mine, I just asked to borrow it because I thought it’d fit the expo. It’s actually Phichit’s boyfriend’s.”

“You’re wearing someone else’s boyfriend’s stuff?” Leo feels a sudden urge to offer Guang-hong his hoodie instead. “My roommate won’t even let me touch his boyfriend’s letters.”

(Which, technically, was untrue. Otabek had forbidden JJ from touching any of his letters — not even the box they were kept in — but he’d seemed okay with Leo. However Leo had never dared to do it despite the unspoken allowance; the one time JJ had accidentally left his phone on top of the box, he almost had to get a new one.)

“Well, I’m not quite sure why he lent it to me, either. I guess he’ll charge me to dry clean it once I return it or something. Anyway, let’s go!! I could barely sleep last night, I’m so excited!!”

********

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Leo asks, not for the first time.

“Yes! I google-mapped it at least five times last night,” Guang-hong replies, not for the first time. His steps are springier than usual.

“Guang-hong, this is an industrial area. I don’t think people have expos in factories.”

“This one does,” Guang-hong shoots back. “Did you not even google it before coming? It’s in a massive abandoned factory.”

Leo groans. _I should probably have done that._ “Ji, I’m the type of person to not even watch trailers because they spoil me. Of course I didn’t google it.”

“Well, you should have. Here we are!”

They slow to a halt and gape at the towering building — solid concrete and steel — and at the queue at the front door, which is snaking around and out of sight behind the building.

The awe on Guang-hong’s face is worth any amount of embarrassment Leo has had to endure to get this far.

He shoves the smaller boy lightly. “Let’s go to the end queue before people add to it, that looks like at least half an hour of waiting already.”

Guang-hong turns his head, and the intensity in his eyes is _terrifying_.

“Thank you. For getting the tickets. God, thank you _so much_.”

Leo gulps, overwhelmed by the sincerity, and tugs self-consciously at his hoodie strings. He can’t quite return the gaze, nor can suppress the heat steadily rising to his cheeks. “I, um…”

A warm hand grabs his own, wordless, and he doesn't really care exactly where he's being dragged to, just as long as Guang-hong is dragging him.

********

 _Overkill_ , Guang-hong scolds himself, the nerve endings in his fingers going crazy and blushing all the way down to his sternum. _Way overkill! Stupid! How does he make me so bold!_

To his credit, Leo doesn’t say anything, just obediently lets himself be dragged along. Guang-hong doesn’t want to turn around to see his expression. Instead he just walks faster.

_Does this queue never end?_

“Need help?”

Guang-hong lets out a small “eep!” as a black — _wall?_ — materialises in front of him. He hears Leo inhale sharply, and he slowly looks up…

…just to see this tall man towering over them with a _terrifying_ expression.

Completely out of reflex, Guang-hong immediately darts behind Leo.

“Mickey, how many times have I told you to stop doing that,” a second voice grits out, sounding annoyed. “I’m so sorry. Are you guys here for the expo?”

“Uh, yeah,” Leo stammers out. Guang-hong peeks over his shoulder. The first guy has been joined by a smaller girl with kind eyes and a much more approachable face than the first one. They’re both dressed fully in black.

“This is actually the queue for the simulation,” the girl says. “But you gotta go into the actual expo to get a waiting number, then you come out to queue at the designated time. This is the first batch of people, the ones with the premium tickets, so there's no need to worry. You’re not the first people to make this mistake, but we’re making a sign so it’s clearer. Sorry about that.”

The girl’s eyes widen, and she nudges the guy with sudden ferocity. “How rude of us! Forgot to introduce ourselves properly. I’m Sara, this is my brother Mickey. We’re part of the staff here. There’ll be a lot of people dressed in black around the arena, but only the staff will have this patch.” She points to a distinctive logo on her chest pocket. “Also, we’ll all have staff IDs. So if there’s any queries, just catch someone with this logo, and they’ll happily help you out. You're free to ask for their ID as well.”

“Sara,” Mickey complains. “I thought we were supposed to act aloof.”

“Oh, right. We’re all under orders to act as if we were operating under secrecy, which kinda means being a bit rude and quite cool. But of course it’s all an act. Shall we escort you to the main arena?”

Leo blinks at them, smiling hesitantly. “Oh. Yes, please. I’m afraid neither of us really knew where to start.” Guang-hong nods behind him, all doe-eyed and embarrassed.

Sara beams at them, her purple eyes flashing like amethysts. “That’s alright! Come, it’s right this way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tagged this as "most people are in this", i will do my best to fulfil my promise of most people, because they ALL DESERVE LOVE.
> 
> I'm guessing their expo day will be divided into 4 parts but I'm not sure yet. 
> 
> THANK YOU everyone for reading this far and supporting this rare pair fic!!!! again, i apologise for the delay(s) and i hope you all think it's worth the wait!!


	15. EXPO: pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GASP I'M ALIVE. so much work. and other stuff. was drowning. did not intend on taking one whole month's break. apologies.
> 
> unfortunately updates will be even more sporadic due to real life being a bitch. i am aware that writing quality drops with lack of practice. i'll try to keep it up and push beyond, of course, but i still apologise in advance...despite that, please continue supporting this fic!
> 
> time to enter the ring...

“Mickey! Sara! What you got there?”

As the odd group approaches a discreet entrance, a tall blonde bearded guy jumps up from his chair at the entrance and waves at them. Sara grins. “That’s Emil. He’s handling the entrance.”

“We’ve already checked their tickets,” Mickey says bluntly when they stop in front of him. “What happened to making the sign?”

 _Holy fuck, this guy is massive,_ Leo thinks, fully aware of Guang-hong shrinking behind him once more in front of this...friendly giant. _Why is everyone in here so tall?_

“Heyyyy,” Emil says, peering at Leo closely. “I have that hoodie too! Coincidence, huh? Anyway, you two are clear to go in, since the Crispies have checked you already—” “Emil, stop calling us Crispies in front of strangers,” Mickey grits out, a vein popping in his forehead.

Sara scowls and smacks her brother’s arm. “Mickey,” she chastises, “Stop being rude in front of everyone.” She turns to a completely nonplussed Leo and smiles. “Sorry ‘bout that! Our surname is Crispino. We’ve known this guy for ages, so he’s always calling us that. But Mickey has a point, Emil. What happened to making the sign?”

Emil scratches his beard. “Well, I’m kind of on guard duty, so I passed it on to Mila in the backroom. You know, the Russian exchange girl. Also, I told a bunch of people to be on lookout for visitors who looked lost, so it’s not just you guys running around finding people. There’s no point talking about it in front of these guys, though.”

He grabs Leo’s shoulder, who lets out an undignified “uh?” and pushes him towards the entrance. “Have fun in there. And remember, never get caught, die with the secret,” he whispers, blue eyes suddenly glinting dangerously in the shadows.

And with that, Leo and Guang-hong are swallowed up by the iron gate and the darkness within it.

********

They find themselves in a dark corridor with only a single blinking lightbulb swinging from the ceiling.

“Guang-hong? Are you here?” Leo hisses, mildly panicked.

Footsteps echo down the corridor in front of them, louder with every step. “Guang-hong!”

_What the hell, is this a haunted house or something??!_

“Oh my god.” Guang-hong materialises beside him, grabbing his sleeve and twisting it tightly. “It’s a Shanghai Blade reference.”

“A wha—?!” “Esteemed guests,” a raspy, sinister voice intones, the figure cloaked in black. “Prove your worth, or depart by force.”

Guang-hong flings out an arm in front of Leo, taking him by surprise. “‘Stay back, comrade.’” His eyes glint in the dim light, coat fluttering out like a whip. “‘We are not the type of men to die in a ditch like this.’”

The figure raises its hooded head. “Not bad! Not bad at all. And what happens next, may I ask?”

“The assassin is reunited with an old ally, thought to be far away and unreachable.”

“I expected nothing less from you, Guang-hong.” The voice suddenly shifts into that of a quiet boy, instead of a menacing threat. “Hello, you must be Leo?”

“YAN!!” Guang-hong shouts. “YOU BASTARD, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON HOLIDAY!”

Leo blinks, completely perplexed. _Yan…?_

Luckily, Guang-hong claps his forehead in realisation. “Leo, this is Yan, we’ve been friends for like, a decade, Yan, this is Leo!”

Yan brushes back a mop of curly blue fringe and smiles at Leo, who lifts a hesitant hand in greeting.

_I’m…still really confused._

“Does everyone get Shanghai Bladed right at the start? Oh my god, Yan, this is so fucking cool, why are you even here??” “Voluntary work. Signed up months ago. And nah, other people just get a briefing in here. I was told you’d come, so I made preparations…Anyway, in we go, there’s still loads for you to look at.”

Guang-hong shrieks and rushes off into the corridor, leaving Leo and Yan behind. Yan shakes his head. “He never changes when it comes to this stuff. You should have brought a leash,” he tells Leo, who shrugs. “I don’t really mind,” he says. “Guess I’ll just have to catch up more.”

Yan opens his mouth to say more, but right at that moment Guang-hong shouts from the end of the corridor, “IS THAT A TARGET RANGE?! HOLY SHIT!”

The two share a look, and dash after Guang-hong.

********

There are enough exhibitions and activities for any visitor to spend a full day.

Firstly, the target range. Split into various levels, visitors learn how to shoot; still targets, moving targets, human cut-outs, and finally a simulation room where two visitors battle each other in a shoot-out, using any possible materials in the room.

Secondly, the stalls. These displayed a large amount of gadgets and weaponry that underground associations, active assassins, spies, or even high-level mafia gangs might use. Four aspects are covered in the stalls — defensive, offensive, infiltration and backup. The stalls are split accordingly, and as such, visitors could spend almost an hour in each aspect zone.

Thirdly, the ex-milita/national spy agency/mafia personnel show area. Though mostly elderly, these ex-personnel tell regaling tales of their work and talk the audience through their situations and battles. As most of the information would be outdated or no longer in requirement, they are free to spread their stories without consequences.

And last, but definitely not least, is the simulation area that most people accidentally see as the main arena. Based heavily off the Shanghai Blade movie, participants could go one of two ways — if they were well-versed in the movie, re-enact the scenes and almost certainly win; or, they could think on their own feet as a real assassin might do, and their decisions would make or break their victory.

“Oh yeah, and there’s the food area. You can choose between the military experience tent or the normal food court,” Yan explains. “Either eat like a soldier or spy on a stakeout, or go eat like a normal person and take a break from all the spy stuff. It’s open all the time. The prices aren’t too high either. Guang-hong, please don’t tell me that you ate jellybeans before coming here.”

“How did you knowwww,” Guang-hong whines.

Yan sighs. “You’ve got that slightly insane look on your face, and you’ve been darting around poor Leo since I started explaining the arena. You probably gave him a headache.”

Leo hurriedly stops rubbing his forehead. “That’s not it,” he says, unconvincingly. “It’s just…a lot to take in?”

“You’re not a big fan, are you.” “Not really,” Leo confesses. “It’s cool and all, but I just got the tickets from a friend, so…”

“Leooooo,” Guang-hong pleads, bouncing around on tiptoes. “Let’s go alreadyyyyyyy.” “O-oh! Yeah. Which bit do you want to do first?” “Let’s look at the offensive stalls first! I need to properly educate you about how damn cool underground stuff is…”

Within seconds, they are swallowed by the crowd, and Yan smiles to himself. “Good luck, Leo,” he whispers, melting into the rush of people.

“Seeing what’s coming your way, you’ll need it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how far has their "date" been planned for them? we'll see. pretty fucking far i think. seung-gil is a man of many miracles and many contacts despite the little amount of words...
> 
> after the expo chapters (four-ish) i might focus on the other guys for a bit (minami, phichit, jj, otabek, maybe the podium fam in russia? etc) bc although this is a leoji-centric fic i still want the other side characters to get more screen time per se. hope that's okay.


	16. EXPO: pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk, and in talking, they learn.
> 
> The importance of friends...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...aaaand it's been another 3 weeks. sorry. hi guys. im really happy that the hit count is still growing?? thank you all for supporting!
> 
> as i said last chapter, updates will remain quite sporadic. my first public exam is in 2 days. ha. ha. im totally ready.
> 
> im posting today bc it's PHICHIT'S BIRTHDAY!! the bday boy only appears in passing in this chapter, im afraid. it's suuuuuper dialogue/bant/backstory-heavy. 
> 
> please enjoy!

Around 3 hours after their encounter with Yan, Leo collapses against a wall and refuses to move.

“Since when did you have this much stamina,” Leo groans, pushing away Guang-hong’s grabby hands, which are enigmatically trying to pull him up to no avail. “We haven’t even gone through all the stalls and I am fucking. Exhausted.”

“Since when were you so easily tired out,” Guang-hong retorts. “It’s nearly half past one, we’ve only got 6 hours left in here, so let’s move itttttt.”

When the next hand comes for him, Leo grabs it and tries to pull him down to the floor. “Sit down!” “Nooooo, I don’t wannaaa…” “Can we at least go for lunch now?” “Can we at least finish the stalls first?” “Promise we can go to lunch straight after.” “….” “Ji, promise it! I swear to god!” “Fine, we’ll go for lunch after we finish the last stall, so let’s goooo!!!”

Guang-hong jumps up immediately and Leo slowly pushes himself up, groaning like an old man. “Christ, I never thought you’d be this passionate about death…”

The boy swats indignantly at him. “I’m not passionate about _death_ , I’m passionate about spies and assassins. There’s a _difference_. Anyway, from one dancer to another: where’s your stamina? Your strength? Your flexibility? I expected you to last longer than this!”

“ _Ex_ -dancer,” Leo corrects him. “Told you, I haven’t danced since last year of high school. I only occasionally exercise now, with my roommates.”

They walk with the flow, leading them towards the final stall (which is. So far away. _How is this arena so massive,_ Leo complains internally). Guang-hong peers curiously at him. “Roommate-s? Plural?” “Yeah, I’ve got two. One’s the tall guy we saw at the cinema, whose girlfriend gave us the tickets?” Guang-hong nods. “Yeah, him. His name’s JJ. He’s Canadian, but he came here for a better environment. Goes back pretty frequently though. For some reason he can still speak Canadian-French, despite not having learnt it since he was 12.” Leo taps his chin thoughtfully. “Well, I said girlfriend, but she’s actually his fiancée…”

Guang-hong gapes at him. “Fiancée?? How old is he??” “He’s the same age as me, but yeah. They’re not gonna get married until they’re at least 25 though, so everyone just calls them boyfriend and girlfriend.” “…you’re 21, right?” “Not yet. In August, yeah.”

Leo has to grab the back of his big fancy coat to stop him from getting carried away in the crowd and keep him within speaking distance. “My other roommate, Otabek, is from Kazakhstan. 5”6’, but scary. Punk-ish kinda guy, pretty serious-looking. Wouldn’t wanna cross him.” He grins at the memory of their first meeting. “We met at uni, and he’s only one centimetre taller than me, but something about him just makes him look _bigger_ , I was absolutely terrified. Turned out he was super lost, didn’t dare or want to ask any passerby for help, and only approached me because I was wearing a t-shirt of a band we both liked.”

“…Wow.” Guang-hong blinks at him. “Music unites people, huh? That’s such a cool meeting story.”

“No, wait, you haven’t heard the best of it. I introduced the two of them, and I’d been friends with JJ before that, so I was pretty wary how it’d go, and it was quite unpredictable. Otabek’s a really cautious guy, and JJ’s famed for making terrible first impressions…” Leo shakes his head. “Later on, I discovered that JJ’s first thought was _this guy looks really cool! I wanna be friends with him!_ while Otabek’s was something along the lines of _this is EXACTLY the type of person I wanted to avoid_. JJ’s first attempts at befriending him were disastrous.”

Guang-hong giggles. “I’ve got two friends that started off hating each other first, too. Phichit’s boyfriend, Seung-gil, looks really cold and calculating, and he sometimes is, but he’s just a massive airhead really. And my other friend, Hai-feng, well…You remember when I told you about me punching this kid who’d been picking on a stray cat, and immediately being a big crybaby about it?” Leo nods, and Guang-hong continues, “She was there, and she ran over when she saw me, a stranger, crying, proceeded to shove me behind her, then whatever expression she had on her face scared the kid so much that he tripped trying to get away. Two days later, we were at the park again, and we saw the kid playing in the sandbox, then she dumped a bucket of sand over his head and yelled at him to apologise to both me AND the cat.”

“…Holy shit.” Guang-hong grins at his reaction, eyes sparkling at the memory. “That’s not even it! We talked about this when we were older, and I asked why she used sand instead of throwing pebbles at him, or something. You know what she said? ‘So he’ll remember me. He’ll be finding sand on him for days. Pretty sure kids like that get pelted regularly anyway.’ We were like 8 when we had this conversation!”

Leo gapes at him. “Holy shit?? That’s so hardcore!” “I know right? It’s how we became friends! Anyway, they met at one of Phichit’s birthday parties, and it was terrible. At first it was verbal insults, these super underhanded vicious comments, then suddenly they were fighting. And Hai-feng fights, she doesn’t pick fights, but she stands against anyone who’s being an absolute asshole. Which Seung-gil can be. Two kids who grew up standing for themselves. Peas in a pod, really. No one knows why they started getting physical, not even themselves. Apparently Seung-gil pushed her? And then it all went downhill. Too much alcohol, probably.”

“That…does not sound like a situation you’d get into. But I'm not judging. What happened then?”

“Hai-feng gave Seung-gil a massive black eye and broke his wrist. Seung-gil doesn’t really fight, he’s more reliant on his silver tongue. He couldn't hit her back. So he bit her. Somehow.” Leo looks absolutely appalled, but Guang-hong just shrugs. “It sounds horrifying, and it was, but somehow that one fight earned mutual respect and appreciation? They’re thick as thieves now. Phichit was absolutely pissed, though.”

“Of course he was! And at his birthday, too! Guang-hong, Hai-feng sounds absolutely terrifying!” “Oh, she is! I swear that’s just one of the bad stories. Ask any of her friends, ask Yan or even Seung-gil, she’s tough on the outside, but super soft if you get to know her! I swear I’ll introduce you, then your mind will change completely.”

The expression on Leo’s face says otherwise, but he doesn’t get to say anything back, because Guang-hong shouts, “Infiltration stall, finally! And speak of the goddamn devil—”

“You!” Leo interrupts, eyes wide in abject shock. “You’re the one at Moonbucks! I asked if we’d met!”

“And we hadn’t, then,” Hai-feng replies smoothly, expression unreadable, sweeping her arm in down in a bow. “And we have, now. Hello, Leo. May I guide you two around the infiltration corner?”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dundunduuuuun...and thus they begin to meet, and the mutuals become ever closer...i hope you guys are finding hai-feng a good read, bc i seem to be putting her/him in this fic a lot. leo is canonically gh's best friend already, i needed someone to fill that hole lol...
> 
> i said before that the whole fic might be around 20 chapters. i highly doubt that now. it won't be massively long tho, i promise.
> 
> i actually have ideas for different AUs for more full-cast side-ship fics...i won't talk about those now, because i'd rather focus on finishing this one first. but do drop a line if anyone would be interested...
> 
> as always, please leave opinions on how i could improve/what im doing right! i am trying my best.


	17. EXPO: pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo meets the "final guardian". Further discussion may be needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heya i'm back. again, this is oc-centric, and i apologise. but the next chapter will be the finale to the expo adventure. so not long to wait until they go back to daily life lol...
> 
> there's like 3 haikyuu character refs. doesn't matter if you don't know hq bc they're literally just mentioned. i might throw in a few more though? bc honestly yoi doesn't have that many characters, so...and i'm kinda in hq hell...but that's not the point....*sweats*
> 
> let's go!!

_How did this happen,_ Leo fumes silently. _Guang-hong, you abandoned me!_

“Oh, don’t look so worried,” Hai-feng chides. “I’m not sure what stories you’ve heard, but I have no bad intentions. I just want to know yours.”

Across the room, Guang-hong and another staff member (a quiet, cat-like person who had been introduced as Kenma) were talking in hushed voices about the exhibition, having been led off as Guang-hong had called, “Go with Hai-feng, look around! We can meet back here in a bit!”

Leo smacks himself mentally. _I don’t know any of this stuff, but isn’t this clearly a divide-and-conquer strategy?! I can’t even trust that Kenma guy to be JUST a staff member!_

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were when I asked at Moonbucks?” Leo asks, folding his arms. “And who was that guy you were with?”

Hai-feng shrugs, completely unfazed by what Leo considers is his most intimidating stare. “I had no obligation to tell you. Besides, I could only guess where you’d seen me from. ‘Guang-hong’s posts, maybe?’ was what I thought. But I had no way of confirming, and anyway I didn’t want to.”

“But now we’ve properly met, you can. I’m Leo, Leo de la Iglesia.”

“So I’ve heard. My name is Hai-feng. But you know that already. And for your information, that person I was with is Phichit’s boyfriend, whom, knowing Guang-hong, I’m sure you’ve already heard about.”

Leo nods, mildly unnerved by Hai-feng’s unchanging expression. “So that’s Seung-gil, then. Is the story of how you met true?”

A grin flashes across her face, but it’s gone so quickly that Leo wonders if he imagined it. “The fight? The black eye and broken wrist?” She pauses, pulls down her collar, revealing her left shoulder… and… “And the bite? Yeah. That was no lie.”

Leo squints, and, o _h, wow. There’s a scar._ It’s faint, only barely visible under the harsh light, but it’s very much there. He kind of wants to touch it. “How do you wear tank tops in summer?”

The collar goes back up, and Leo looks up to make eye contact. “I try not to,” Hai-feng admits. “But when I do, and if people ask, I tell them it was some bratty kid at daycare from years ago. Which might as well be true. I don’t know if you’ve met him yet, but he’s just a brat, and there’s nothing more to it.”

By the lingering mirth in her eyes, Leo assumes that it means _That’s a joke, by the way._

 _I’m still unsure about you after those stories,_ Leo thinks to himself. _But if this was an RPG, it feels like she’s the final guardian…_

 _Final guardian to what,_ he hears some dry deadpan voice in his brain (that sounds very much like Otabek) say.  _Are you on a quest for Guang-hong's heart or something? That's weird. Bad metaphor._

“Uh, daycare?” he says carefully, curious to know more but wary as to where the boundaries stretch. And shaking off the voice in his head. “By the way, I think your assumption was right? But I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere else before as well? Just a thought.”

 _Those eyes really give nothing away, huh._ Hai-feng shrugs. “Dunno then. But yeah. I did a few years in England before coming here — I’ll be 20 soon, by the way — and before that, I helped out a lot at a local church. Enough about me. When are you planning on confessing?”

The words take a while to process (mainly because Leo is still hung up on “did a few years in England”. A few years of what?? Crime organisation?? Jail-time??), but when they do, Leo feels like he got hit by a freight train.

“What do you mean,” he squeaks out, voice cracking on the last word.

Hai-feng doesn’t have a chance to elaborate, because Guang-hong suddenly appears next to her, groaning and prodding his friend in the arm. “Youuuuu. You’re not doing your job properly. Kenma sent me over to lecture you.”

“Rude. Don’t eavesdrop. How much did you hear?” “Nothing! Sheesh, it’s like you’re talking about something I can’t know about. Bye then. Kenma says that if owl-2 comes back and finds you slacking, you’ll die the same way owl-1 did. I don’t know what that means, but that’s what they said. I’m gonna go listen to something that’s _actually_ interesting now. Leo, stop being scared!”

Leo’s jaw drops. “I’m not —!” But Guang-hong is already all the way across the room, while his guide keeps an unnerving golden stare on Hai-feng, who stares back stonily.

“Let’s walk while we talk,” Hai-feng says eventually, turning on her heel and gesturing for Leo to follow her. “Owl-1’s not actually dead, but I don’t want to get caught by owl-2. Anyway, there’s lots to see.”

“Owl-1’s not dead?” Leo scurries after her, still reeling from her question, caught completely off-guard. Hai-feng glances back, and Leo’s definitely not imagining the little smile on her face when she speaks.

“Sometimes I can still hear his voice.”

Silence.

“…Hai-feng, I’ve only known you for like eight minutes, but that’s incredibly fucking stale, and you need to stop.”

“Go ahead and try. You can have Guang-hong when you do.”

Leo flushes all the way down to his collar, sputtering incomprehensibly, and Hai-feng laughs.

********

 

“Soooo…?”

Guang-hong gazes expectantly at him, eyes wide, and Leo looks away, unable to handle his expression. “So, what?”

“You know what I mean. Have you changed your mind? I honestly didn’t expect her to be here. I guess she signed up with Yan, those _bastards_ , how could they not tell _me_ , of all people… But anyway! What do you think?”

Leo groans. “I don’t want to give you the satisfaction of knowing that you’re right.” Guang-hong punches the air with glee.

“She was…nice, I guess? Also kind of soft, somehow? Reeeeally deep inside though.” “Toooooold ya~~” “She’s really unlike Phichit or Minami, though. But I guess so was Yan? These are the ones you’ve known the longest, huh?” “Yeahhhhh.”

That stupid smile on his face is not making things better. Leo sighs.

“Guang-hong, food. Now.”

“Okay~~~”

********

“I hope Mr Popovich is ready?”

The blue-haired boy rolls his eyes. “You know he is. I’m sure he’ll deliver.”

“So.” Hai-feng nods discreetly at Leo and Guang-hong, who are sitting at a table eating lunch and _yours tastes better, I wanna trade,_ and _I’ll trade you if you cover my shift next Wednesday_ and _what the hell no fair that’s max rush hour —_ “What do you think about him?”

Yan takes a bite from his hamburger and smiles. “I think the fact that he’s keeping up with Guang-hong at this madfest says a lot. You got to talk to him, though? Or was it an interrogation?”

“A bit of both…?”

Yan narrows his eyes at her.

“Okay, so he was utterly terrified at first, but I can’t help that. Who knew Guang-hong would have been telling him about THAT thing right before we met.” Hai-feng’s phone buzzes with a notification; she glances at the screen and curses. “I have to go, owl-1 basically just got murdered for me. Don't wanna die yet, so. I’ll come find you in an hour, I have a break then. And you are treating me to lunch. Because I haven’t eaten since 8 this morning.” Her phone begins buzzing consecutively with alarming incoming texts, making her jump up, look around carefully, and melt into the crowd. 

“Classic Hai-feng,” Yan mutters, shaking his head and stifling a smile. “Scares many, scared of little. I hope Leo’s coping fine.”

********

“How do you have such cool friends.” Leo slumps onto the table, nearly sending his drink tumbling down to the floor. “Hai-feng is scary, Yan has blue hair, Seung-gil is scary, Phichit is cute, Minami is downright adorable —” Guang-hong smacks the back of his head. “Ow!”

“They’re all fucking _dorks_ ,” he announces. “You’re judging them by the first impression.”

“I’m not,” Leo grumbles. “Wait till you meet _my_ friends. Scratch that, I’ll introduce you to my roommates. Not that they don’t know you anyway,” he adds under his breath.

“Hm? What was that?” “Ah, nothing. This place makes you confident, it’s kinda scary too.”

“Are you saying I’m not confident?”

“Confident people wouldn’t run away from two girls flirting with them.”

Smack. “Don’t—” smack, “bring—” smack, “that—” smack, “up!”

Leo looks up to see Guang-hong puffing out his ruddy cheeks and glaring at him. “It’s okay. You’re cool too.”

Guang-hong squeezes his eyes shut and goes, “HMMMMMPH!” 

HIs puffy cheeks look so cute and squishy, Leo can't help but duck back down before he does something stupid like poke them. _And you’re the cutest, too._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to anyone reading who knows hq: any of them could murder me and i would THANK them. just sayin. (tbh the same goes for yoi...apparently my desire for death by pretty people knows no bounds) (why are they all so pretty GRANT ME SOME OF YOUR BEAUTY U FUCKS)
> 
> ahem. in other news. the next chapter is gonna be pretty messy bc of all the action, and im not really good at describing that in words. tbh i'd rather present the whole thing as a comic. but i won't do that bc this is a FIC SITE. so please bear that in mind. also, english is not my first language?? so tell me if anything doesn't flow or makes no sense, i'd really appreciate it! comments and kudos are loved, god bless, as usual, see you next time with some Shanghai Blade action...


	18. EXPO: pt. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I've been living in Shanghai's seamy underbelly, and this is my last mission..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit guys believe me when i say i'll be uploading more often soon because i've only got 5 public exams left!! holy fuck!!! my trials are finally over!!!! also i convinced myself to just go and write this chapter bc there's s o m u c h i want to do for them outside the expo. yeah. so here it is: the big finale. and then it's back to real life for the whole gang.
> 
> (also it was seung-gil's bday 3 days ago im sorry man. hbd)
> 
> it's a comparatively long one, but please enjoy...

“Is this really worth it,” Leo grumbles. “We’ve been standing in line for 43 minutes and 46 seconds. 47. 48. 49—”

 

Guang-hong smacks him. “Stop being an ingrate,” he barks out. “You got the tickets for me, you come with me, you gotta sit through the whole thing. The gun range was fun, wasn’t it?”

 

It is nearly 6 pm. The queue for the simulation was _long_.

 

Prior to getting the passes for the queue, they had attended a gun range session, shooting targets (and each other) for a full hour. Much to Guang-hong’s delight he’d gotten a higher score than Leo had; Leo argued that he was distracted because Guang-hong had made him take pictures, so he was naturally focusing more on being the photographer, isn’t that the right thing to do?

 

“Multi-tasking is a thing, Leo,” Guang-hong had chirped, much cheekier than usual, maybe even a hint of Phichit in his smile. “You just suck at it.”

 

This place _did_ make him more confident. In return, Leo had chased him around the arena with an air pistol.

 

“Yeah. The gun range was fun.” But more so was taking Guang-hong’s pictures. Every time he aimed, he squeezed one eye shut and stuck his tongue out just a little bit, and every time he fired the recoil would rock him back slightly while his soft hair blew clear of his cute freckled face. With the flowy silhouette of his coat, Leo had gotten quite a few nice shots. Then the boy would turn towards him, grinning madly, gesturing at the target, and the grin would slowly melt into an annoyed pout when Leo would blink innocently and lie, _sorry, just missed that one, could you do it again?_ And Guang-hong would grumble about him not appreciating his efforts, _you better watch the target this time!_ Leo would insist that he _was_ and _just shoot already_.

 

Only, he was always watching the wrong target. Who cared about the fake shooting when you could care about the real shooter?

 

Guang-hong hums softly to himself, eyes dancing in anticipation despite the long line in front of them. At least they could see the entrance.

 

Logical Leo firmly tells Emotional Leo to stop melting into an actual puddle of goo.

 

“Oh yeah,” he remembers suddenly, train of thought leading him to Yan’s introduction at the start of the day. “Are we following the movie route or…?”

 

“‘Course we are!” Guang-hong shouts. “It’s the best way of doing it. Also it’s super cool. Wait.” He frowns suddenly, looking alarmed. “You’ve never seen the movie, have you?”

 

Leo hesitates. “…No.”

 

“Right,” the younger mutters, thinking hard. “Okay. I’m gonna explain what happens, and you gotta follow it exactly.”

 

“Okay. I’ll try my best.”

 

********

“I have to jump down there?” Leo hisses to the staff member. What was his name? Iwa—something?

 

“It’s okay, I’ll go first. It looks impressive, but of course it’s totally safe. Not even 2 metres, just remember to land in a crouch, and brace your hips. Watch my lead.” The actor — his ally, apparently — nods reassuringly at him. It was totally unprofessional, but Leo couldn’t stop his eyes from flickering to those arms folded across his chest. The tank top was really distracting. He wonders how many participants had hit on this guy during their waiting time. Secluded in the darkness, he must have been through a lot. “Your friend should be running down here anytime now. Oh, his gun— and yours, by the way— is only BB-loaded, so don’t worry when he points around.”

 

Footsteps and soft panting comes from down the hallway, and the actor — _Iwaizumi_ , Leo remembers suddenly, but it doesn’t really matter now — tenses, and whispers, “Right after me.”

 

_The protagonist infiltrates the enemy lair and fights his way to the top, where the boss awaits._

 

Leo gulps nervously, but there’s no time for that, because the hero of the story emerges out of the darkness into the grey-orange lights. And Iwaizumi jumps.

 

As promised, a gun immediately points in his face. Guang-hong looking unusually emotionless — completely in character. Leo doesn’t have time to marvel at it, because he takes a deep breath, and jumps also.

 

The landing shocks him a bit and he lands with a lot less grace than he wanted to, but Iwaizumi was right; it hadn’t been anything to worry about. He raises his hands in surrender and looks up at Guang-hong with a smirk, a hint of challenge in his eyes.

 

_He is reunited with longtime allies._

 

“Leo,” he whispers, almost reverently, lowering his gun.

 

Oh, what Leo would give to hear him like that in daily life.

 

“It’s been a while,” he whispers back. Following the script. Just as Guang-hong told him.

 

Unbeknownst to either of them, Iwaizumi smirks and gestures to someone down the hall before turning to them and saying gruffly, “We don’t have much time. The enemy is nearing. Come this way.”

 

Still following the script, Leo holds out his hand, and Guang-hong takes it.

 

Even in the dim light, both of them can see the other shudder at their touch.

 

********

 

“It doesn’t matter.” Shigaraki Tomura giggles deliriously at them, with a kind of sick maliciousness. “It deosn’t matter at all, does it? Father?” He clutches the greyish human hand hanging around his neck, eyeing them from behind his hair.

 

Even though it’s all an act, Leo feels shivers run down his spine. These guys were _good_.

 

To his left, Guang-hong is silent, one hand on his gun, the other holding out a short sword.

 

Behind them, Iwaizumi is…dead, red liquid soaking through his tank top.

 

Even though it’s all an act, Leo feels that he is wildly in imminent danger.

 

A gun is idly loaded as Shigaraki Tomura backs away from them. “But it doesn’t matter. ‘Course it doesn’t. The boss is absolute, after all. Dabi…”

 

There’s a noncommittal grunt, and a man with horrible burns and lots of piercings steps out, small knives dancing in between his fingers. Under the shadows and cold blue light, they glint like flames.

 

“The principal will see you now, kids.” He bows mockingly, mouth twisted in a sneer, knives gleaming silver and white and ice-blue. “Let’s see what you _heroes_ are made of, shall we?”

 

Quietly, lowly, Guang-hong murmurs, “Do your worst.”

 

There is a harsh, crackling voice. “May curses befall you,” it intones, full of quiet, dangerous fury. A pale figure emerges from his crowd of lackeys, striking blue eyes ringed in purple, coming to stand in between Dabi and Shigaraki. “May your interfering souls never find peace. May you forever regret how and why you came to stand here, at this moment, at the sharpest tip of Shanghai’s Blade.”

 

_The protagonist has a duel with the enemy organisation’s boss._

 

Leo looks at the crowd, and notices how most of the gun barrels are pointed at him.

 

_His allies are hunted by the organisation._

 

Shakily, he raises his own gun, ready to go out in the final battle in a blaze of glory. The pale figure raises his head, towering above them, terrifying in a mass of black cloak and pale skin. Guang-hong breathes in sharply, his eyes darting to Leo, suddenly looking much like how he’d been all day — completely breaking out of character as the cool, heroic young assassin.

 

 _What’s wrong?!_ Leo wants to shout at him. _Why are you suddenly breaking out?!_

 

The boss — _otherwise known as the Witch,_ Leo recalls suddenly — leers at them, pulling out his own guns, pointing one at each of them. “Ah, youth,” he croons, sounding nostalgic and menacing at once. “Never knowing how far to run, or being so ignorant that you walk straight into the lion’s den.Will you take the first step? Or will you never dare to face yourself?”

 

One look at Guang-hong’s face, and the soft murmurs behind the boss, proves his confusion — this didn’t sound like part of the movie. And it wasn't.

 

But the Witch keeps talking. “I have seen your heart, young hero, so sweet and light and brave…and yours too, the daring ally, the lion, the protector.” Guang-hong lets out an involuntary squeak, but the Witch is not the least bit phased. “Will you preserve yourself? Or will you take the leap into the dwellings of your heart? Have you the courage to speak up? Or will nothing come of this gruelling business?”

 

Dabi exchanges a look with Shigaraki — no, that’s not right, their _actors_ exchange a look — and he clears his throat hesitantly. “Uh, sir…”

 

The Witch sweeps out one arm grandly, gun held loose in his fingers. “Of course. Now then, young assassin.” _Ah, so this is the cue,_ Leo thinks, watching Guang-hong tense, prepared for the final scene. Which, to be honest…Leo still doesn’t really know what it entails. All he knows is that once the boss cries out “Fire!” then he himself will have to shoot madly until paint splatters onto his shirt, upon which he will have to collapse/die.

 

He doesn’t really know what happens after that.

 

When Dabi lifts a single knife into the air, it looks like a wisp of cold blue flame balanced on his finger. There is the simultaneous sound of many cocking guns.

 

Leo pulls back the safety of his own, feeling extremely trigger-happy. Guang-hong sheathes his sword and steadies his own pistol with two shaking hands.

 

The Witch lets out an almost peaceful breath. “Do my worst, I will.”

 

His order is so quiet that Leo almost misses it in the tense silence. Instead, his fingers tighten on the trigger, just as paint bullets begin spattering the wall behind him.

 

He never gets a chance to fire, because Guang-hong takes a flying leap and knocks him sideways, shooting like a madman, paint whizzing past him, gunshots intermingled with the bright silver of Dabi’s throwing knives and Shigaraki’s god-awful giggling.

 

Leo watches, propped up on his elbows, shocked into silence, as Guang-hong’s chest suddenly blooms with red.

 

The young hero collapses on top of his ally, undignified in his sprawling death.

 

“Holy shit,” his ally mumbles after a short period of silence, breathless and tugging anxiously at the hero’s lifeless limbs. “I need to watch this fucking movie. Ji. Can you hear me?”

 

The hero begins to tremble with laughter, and Iwaizumi snorts from behind them. The main lights go on, flooding the seedy rooftop scene with welcoming light.

 

********

 

As of an hour after the simulation, sitting in a cafe close to the train station, Guang-hong is still utterly starstruck.

 

He’d been starstruck since the lights came back on, continued to be starstruck while they changed back into their own clothes from the paint-spattered borrowed shirts from the simulation, and had waved a dazed goodbye to a very amused Emil (and a mildly concerned Sara) at the exit. Leo had had to keep and eye on him in case he stumbled into traffic, still lost in his starstruck haze.

 

“Actual Georgi Popovich,” he repeats breathlessly, over and over. His slice of cake has been mindlessly mushed into a pile of crumbs, cream caught in between the tines of his fork. Leo wants to rescue it. “I got his autograph and I was in his holy presence. Leo! _Actual Georgi Popovich_!”

 

“I was there, Guang-hong.”

 

“How did they get _actual Georgi Popovich_ to act in a _simulation_ of his _blockbuster_ ,” Guang-hong wonders. “And why did he improv so much stuff? I don’t…”

 

 _I don’t get it either, but it really fucking hit deep._ Logical Leo narrows his eyes at Emotional Leo, which is currently a blushing, blubbering mess. _I get the feeling that his…staff member friends were involved. Hmm. Hmmhmhmhmm._

 

“Anyway.” Guang-hong pokes him. “Did I hear you say, ‘I need to watch this fucking movie’? Did I? Did I? I did, didn’t I? Okay, ‘did’ is no longer a word.”

 

Leo sighs. He’d hoped that Guang-hong would’ve forgotten his shocked proclamation in the aftermath of meeting a movie star. Apparently not.

 

Instead, he says, “You didn’t tell me you were gonna knock me to the ground.”

 

“Ah.” The boy pulls his coat tighter, covering his olive shirt. “I…wanted to see how’d you react,” he says shyly.

 

The sudden change in atmosphere almost makes Leo choke on his own fondness. “You know I’d catch you,” he replies, stabbing at his own innocent slice of cake, trying to hide his nervousness. “I caught you before, I’ll catch you again. Was it part of the movie?”

 

Guang-hong nods, resolutely not looking at him, licking the cream from his fork.

 

There’s a moment of awkwardness, which is ridiculous given how happy their day had been, and then Guang-hong offers hesitantly, “Do you…want to watch _Shanghai Blade…_ with me?”

 

Leo’s head is nodding vigorously before his brain can rein in his enthusiasm. “When’s your next shift?” he blurts out before he can reconsider.

 

Guang-hong blinks at him. “3pm in two days, why?”

 

“It’s a Thursday, then,” Leo muses, unable to stop his leg from jiggling nervously under the table. “Are you free after that?”

 

It looks like Guang-hong’s brain is still mostly offline, because it takes him a while to process. “Oh. Oh! Yeah, I am! I have the Blu-Ray!”

 

“Would you like to…come to my place, after that?”

 

Both of their faces are incredible shades of red at this point. Guang-hong nods.

 

“I’ll pick you up at six, then.”

 

Guang-hong nods again. His _neck_ is turning red.

 

Leo thinks about Mr Popovich’s words. _Will you take the first step? Have you the courage to speak up?_

 

“It’s a date.”

 

His doe eyes are so wide, but Guang-hong just nods. Several times.

 

And Leo lets out a hopeful exhale that he didn’t know he’d been holding.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rewatched gh's program so many times to write this but i'm not complaining lol
> 
> yeah i worked in both a hq character AND 2 bnha characters. im sorry. this is the only arc of the fic that really needs extra names so i just started throwing in random people. OH but this fic won't be more than 30 chapters i promise lol
> 
> how DID they get hollywood superstar georgi popovich to act in a simulation of his own blockbuster...? we'll see...
> 
> as usual, thanks for reading, please do leave opinions/kudos as you see appropriate!


	19. How it Came to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How the elaborate scheme unfolded, and how the elaborate scheme came to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey hey an update?? w o w! ive got 2 more exams left (further math. u g h) so im feeling a bit more relaxed. so here's a little filler-ish chapter to explain how the Plot fell together. the timeline revolves around the key moment of the "plot" i.e. expo pt.5, so the indicators (e.g. three weeks ago) mean e.g. three weeks before expo pt.5. hope it's not confusing.
> 
> please enjoy...

****Three weeks ago****

 

“What’s this? Yuuri, look!”

 

“I am, Victor. What’s the return address…? Huh, that’s weird. I swear that’s Phichit’s address. But this is a far cry from his messy handwriting.”

 

“And why is it addressed to me?” The rich rustle of Victor’s silk dressing gown is a delicate noise in the early morning.

 

In his slim fingers, there’s an envelope addressed to “ _Katsuki Yuuri’s husband”_.

 

Yuuri frowns, pulling out his phone, about to text Phichit about the mysterious letter — he hadn’t even replied to his last one yet, and why was it addressed to Victor? — when he spots the tiny line along the bottom of the envelope.

 

_Please keep this a secret from Phichit Chulalont._

 

“Yuuri, please let me open it. I’m sure it’s safe. I really wanna read it!”

 

****Two weeks ago****

 

_Dear Seung-gil,_

 

_Your handwriting is so pretty! It’s all swirly and elegant. Phichit’s already been telling us all about the cute freckley boy and his crush, and you’re such a good friend to him! Georgi LOVES this kind of romantic stuff, and when I told him your proposal, he swooned and sighed and nearly started crying. I can’t blame him. It’s so cute!!_

 

_Luckily he’s got a movie shoot around the area in that time, and he’s certain that he can take a couple hours off to surprise your friend. And his fame will almost certainly ensure that everything will go smoothly. But he says he’ll need a guide of sorts? I’m sure you’ll sort that out. Oh, here’s my number so you can keep us updated…_

 

********

 

“No.”

 

“Yuri, when have I ever asked you for a favour.”

 

Otabek can almost see Yuri’s pretty face twisting sourly as he contemplates the question. “Never,” he admits reluctantly. “So it’s a really big deal. But I don’t wanna talk to him! He keeps trying to get me to film with him. I’m a fucking model, I can't act. And his stupid relationship drama is still fresh in my mind. So no.”

 

Otabek resists the urge to flop into a beanbag and groan, because his boyfriend was _so fucking stubborn_. But he doesn’t, on account that both beanbags are occupied by conspirators.

 

Seung-gil is reading through Nikiforov’s reply, looking irked by the sheer enthusiasm and overly sincere compliments radiating from the three perfumed and double-sided pages. On the other hand, Hai-feng is happily playing Mario Kart on her decade-old NDS. Otabek wants to kick her out of the flat.

 

“Look,” he says instead, turning his attention back to Yuri. “The truth is, one of my friends is friends with my friend’s crush, and HIS boyfriend is Katsuki Yuuri’s best friend, so actually he’s already written to Nikiforov because he stole their address from his boyfriend’s letters. And Nikiforov has already replied saying that Popovich has agreed to help. All I’m asking is for you to confirm that he’s actually going to help and the whole thing isn’t just, quote, ‘Nikiforov agreeing on a whim and then we discover he hasn’t actually done anything and everything fails’.”

 

“…are you telling me your friend’s boyfriend is Phichit Chulalont?”

 

“Uh…” Otabek covers the microphone outlet and asks, “Is your boyfriend’s name Phichit Chulalont?”

 

Seung-gil shoots him a withering look, and replies, “This is something you should know, Altin.”

 

“The answer is yes,” Hai-feng translates blandly.

 

_Oh,_ Otabek suddenly remembers. _THAT’S why the name was so familiar! He’s the guy who found Leo on Instagram!_

 

He uncovers the microphone outlet. “Yes. My friend’s boyfriend is Phichit Chulalont.”

 

“The last time I checked, Chulalont was dating an amateur quantum physicist.”

 

Otabek covers the microphone outlet again. “Hey, are you an amateur quantum physicist?”

 

“Are you serious?” Hai-feng says.“The guy’s been in the New Scientist magazine twice, and he’s not even 25.”

 

Seung-gil glares at her. “The answer is no,” he hisses.

 

Otabek uncovers the microphone outlet. “My friend is apparently an amateur quantum physicist. Hey, why do you know this?”

 

“Chulalont has bold designs. Victor’s been wanting to recruit him for a while, since he got to know his stuff through Katsudon, just never knew when. Since when were you friends with such influential people?”

 

“Since I started dating you,” he retorts. “Will you help us confirm Nikiforov’s words or not?”

 

Yuri groans for at least a whole minute without stopping before hanging up without another word, and Otabek raises a thumbs up to his conspirators.

 

****Two hours ago****

 

“Ah, young love,” Georgi sighs wistfully for the sixteenth time since Hai-feng has escorted him into the staff waiting room.

 

He’s been briefed and given appropriate greetings and everything, so technically there’s nothing stopping Hai-feng from taking her leave and running back to the infiltration area where she can laugh with her coworkers and make up shit to scare any visitors. But the idea of leaving a worldwide superstar in a room on his own after they’d asked him to do such a mundane thing as a favour through multiple connections is just…wrong.

 

On the other hand, Hai-feng’s social skills are barely passing, so instead of the overwhelming awe that one should feel when in the presence of a celebrity, she just feels awkward beyond measure. Though hopefully it doesn’t show on her face.

 

_me: he’s really fucking sappy it’s bringing down his cool points_

_otabek altin: don’t text?? while this is happening?? pay attention???_

_lee seung gil: You’re fully aware that if you mess up I’m going to flay you alive._

_lee seung gil: After all we’ve done for this elaborate scheme._

_me: u literally just wrote one (1) letter to ur boyfriend’s best friend’s puppy husband_

_otabek altin: that puppy husband happens to be one of the world’s most famous designers with manyexcellent connections_

_otabek altin: PAY ATTENTION, SHITHEAD_

_me: wow_

_me: i’d fuck this up just to spite u guys if gh wasn’t involved_

_lee seung gil: I will bite you again if you don’t go do your job_

_me: s c a r y_

 

_Play cupid, they said. It will be fun, they said._

 

Hai-feng clears her throat. “Uh, Mr Popovich, sir…”

 

Georgi turns around and smiles at her. “Just Georgi is fine.”

 

“Oh.” _Sir, you can’t expect me to call an Oscar-winning actor by his first name._ “Mr Georgi, would you like anything to drink, or…?”

 

He shakes his head, but beckons her to sit closer, so Hai-feng obediently slides across several seats to sit closer to the celebrity. “I would like to know more about the lovely young couple I am doing this for, if you don’t mind? Tell me everything. Their first meeting, their courtship, I would like to hear it all.” His eyes gleam with a sort of interested fervour, and Hai-feng thinks,  _this guy really is a romance nut._

 

“O…kay? Actually, they’re still kinda in the getting together phase…”

 

****Aftermath****

 

As per request, Iwaizumi quietly snaps several pictures of the hyper Chinese boy fluttering anxiously around Popovich while his nice friend tries to calm him down, chuckling to himself.

 

_me: He is super happy about this. Good job_

_Hai-feng: EYYY IT WORKED_

_Hai-feng: thanks a bunch!!! i owe u_

_me: It’s no problem, Angelo._

_Hai-feng: i told u,,,friends aren’t allowed to use my eng name,,,stop_

_Hai-feng: he’s gonna be drunk off this for a bit so if he leaves anything behind just pass em to me or yan_

_Hai-feng: tho im sure leo will pick up after him, but just in case_

_me: They’re a good pair._

_me: You’re a really good friend to do this for them._

_Hai-feng: so flattering, iwa-chan_

_me: No longer a good friend_

********

 

_me: [3 images attached]_

_lee seung gil: Oh, success_

_otabek altin: should i be worried that leo is sending me texts about how he is concerned for his state of mind_

_otabek altin: apparently he was so dazed that he nearly walked into traffic when they were leaving??_

_me: disappointed but Not Surprised_

_lee seung gil: It’s a good sign_

_otabek altin: whatever u guys say i guess_

_lee seung gil: Let’s hope this day did good for their relationship development_

_me: yeah i didn’t steal those free tickets for nothing_

_lee seung gil: You what_

_lee seung gil: What?? You told me those were given to you and Yan as a volunteer benefit thing!_

_me: oops_

_me: details, details_

_otabek altin: classic hai-feng_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's just pretend hai-feng got away scot free with stealing two very expensive and limited tickets and move on. h a
> 
> the New Scientist is an international science magazine and apparently a pretty big deal? i can't say i know what it's about bc i am not a science person and i literally just googled "international science magazines" and that's the one that looked vaguely familiar lol??
> 
> i know in canonverse vic and georgi aren't really good friends, but in this pretty AU let's pretend that they are and that they occasionally work together as celebs from the designing world and the acting world. everyone's happy, yay
> 
> can u tell i like chat fics lol how'd u guys feel if i wrote a crack chapter just in chat logs i wonder
> 
> the next chapter will be...The Date™!!!! please do anticipate it as well! and as usual leave kudos/comments as u see appropriate thanks


	20. It's A Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A minor revelation, pizza, and Shanghai Blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wheEZE i swear im not abandoning this. actually, i might round this up in 25 chapters. not sure yet. please continue being patient and thank you for supporting as always.
> 
> it's The Date. please enjoy...

 

“Guang-hong, you’re dressed really nicely today. Something happening after your shift?”

 

The boy flushes and pointedly glares at the little bell hanging above the door. “You shut the fuck up. You weren’t meant to _be_ on this shift.”

 

“Alright, boys, stop the chitchat.” Nick walks past, causing Leo to snap to attention. “Thanks for coming in today, Leo. Especially on such urgent notice.”

 

“Oh, it’s no big deal. I hope Vincci is okay?”

 

Nick tuts. “Burnt herself with a frying pan this morning, then proceeded to slip and fall down the stairs. Mostly just a bit shaken, but I gave her the day off.”

 

“Oh, wow.” “Yeah, I know. Anyway, you boys will be getting off at the same time in around 3 hours, and then…” Their shift manager eyes them both and smirks a little, Guang-hong’s blush not escaping his attention. “Go wherever you’d pre-arranged to go, I guess. But right now I need you to focus, okay?”

 

Guang-hong gives him a little salute. “Yessir!” “Attaboy, Ji.”

 

On his way back to the office, he leans into Leo’s ear and whispers, “You’re one to talk about nice outfits. Dressed to impress?”

 

Leo stutters, “Wha—it’s—this isn’t—!” as Nick laughs and swings the office door shut behind him.

 

********

 

The muffled sounds of bickering and Mario Kart from behind the front door is very discouraging.

 

“I _told_ them to get out of the flat before 6,” Leo grumbles, fishing around his book bag for his keys. Guang-hong squirms nervously behind him. “Especially after I tried to tidy up this morning. If they made a huge mess I’m gonna knock their teeth out.”

 

Thankfully Guang-hong is behind him when he opens the door, because otherwise his guest would’ve been hit by a flying XO plushie to the face. Someone yells an apology.

 

That someone was neither Otabek nor JJ.

 

“Hai-feng?!” Guang-hong squeaks, peeking over Leo’s shoulder into the flat.

 

“What.” Leo picks up the plushie and throws it forcefully back to Hai-feng, who catches it with ease and waves cheerfully at them. “What the hell?!!”

 

Otabek stands up. “We got you pizza,” he says, as if a complete stranger isn’t slouched over in one of their beanbags. “We’ll finish this last game and leave you guys to it. JJ’s out with Isabella, probably won’t be back till late, so you guys can chill.”

 

Leo kicks the door shut behind them as Guang-hong toes off his sneakers. “Hold the fuck up,” he says, brows furrowing. He points at Hai-feng, who’s busy taking advantage of the distraction to race Bowser ahead of Bones to take first place. “Explain this??!”

 

“We deliver together at the pizza place.” Otabek picks up his controller, and Bones zooms ahead, hot on Bowser’s heels. “Though we first met on the streets. A bunch of druggies were picking on a family of stray dogs. She ran hollering at them and tried to beat them off with a broken broom. They tried to stab her with their syringes. I was watching from across the street and called the cops.”

 

Hai-feng snickers. “Guang-hong, this is Otabek Altin. Say hi.”

Guang-hong glowers at her. “Is this the time you came over and announced that maybe you had contracted AIDS.”

 

Her eyes don’t leave the screen, although her mouth twists in annoyance when Otabek kicks her and Bones tries to push Bowser off track. “Maybe.”

 

“What,” Leo repeats. Guang-hong sighs.

 

On screen, Bowser barely crosses the finish line before Bones crashes into his bike. Otabek groans and makes quick work of turning off the Wii. Hai-feng stretches, grabs her backpack, and turns to smile innocently at Leo and Guang-hong. “We’ll get lost now. Have fun!”

 

Otabek grabs his basketball from under his desk. “There’s ice cream in the freezer, if you guys want some.”

 

“You’re not getting off this easily,” Leo grumbles. “We’ll talk later.”

 

“Sure.” He nods at Guang-hong. “Ji Guang-hong, nice to meet you.”

 

“See ya,” Hai-feng says, and Leo watches them walk down the hallway, Otabek saying _you’re not calling out the guys from the expo are you_ and Hai-feng saying _no they play volleyball, maybe Kaminari will be free, hey how’s Yuri doing_ and Otabek saying _he’s fine, well he’s growing out his hair but his cat keeps knotting it up_ and they disappear down the stairwell, two broad figures in black shirts and sport shorts.

 

Leo presses his forehead against the inside of the door and repeats, “What.”

 

“I’m as surprised as you are,” Guang-hong mutters. Leo turns to look at him.

 

The apartment is relatively tidy. The multicoloured beanbags are spread haphazardly in front of the TV where they were playing Wii, and JJ’s laundry basket is almost toppling over at the foot of his bed, but other than that it looks like a normal living space. There’s no dirt on the wooden floor, the marble countertop is clear and shiny, the oriental rug between the bunk and the single was relatively unwrinkled, the three desks tidy if not a bit cluttered. Leo had even washed the toilet that morning.

 

And in the middle of the apartment, Guang-hong stares at the large Fall Out Boy poster above the TV, contrasting from their rustic little flat in his white lace-trimmed button up and pastel pink chino shorts. Summer had given him more freckles. He is wearing pale blue socks with clouds on them.

 

On the other hand, Leo completely fits their apartment’s aesthetic — cuffed jeans, nice saffron polo shirt, red checkered socks. He’d spent almost half an hour agonising over the outfit.

 

How could he not, after he called it a fucking _date_?

 

Guang-hong turns to him and beams. “Your apartment is so cool!”

 

Leo flushes in response.

 

********

 

While Leo reheated the pizza in their tiny oven, Guang-hong had rummaged around in his record collection and pulled out MIKA’s album, saying _Phichit loves this guy, I don’t know any of the other CDs you have except for the Queen ones, can we listen to this one please his music is nice,_ and Leo had said _sure, whatever you like_ and wondered if Guang-hong knew that Mika was gay.

 

So now they were eating pizza while Mika warbled on in the background about how he couldn’t stop talking about his lover.

 

“To be honest, I’m not that surprised that Hai-feng is friends with your roommate,” Guang-hong says around a mouthful of pepperoni pizza. He swallows and makes a face. “She has way too many connections.”

 

Leo ponders this a little. “I guess they are quite similar,” he says, prodding distastefully at the peppers on his chicken pizza. Otabek is always trying to get him to eat peppers. He pushes them aside. “But does she always have to get involved in dangerous situations?”

 

“She’s just like that.” Guang-hong picks the pepper slices off Leo’s plate and pops them into his mouth. “Shanghai Blade is a bit over two hours long. Is that okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Leo says, typing _come back at 10:30_ into their housemate group chat. “What time do you have to go?”

 

Guang-hong shrugs. He’s eating the last slice of Leo’s chicken pizza, so Leo steals a slice of his pepperoni in return. “I don’t have class tomorrow morning, so as long as I can get back before the subway closes, it’s fine.”

_Is it romantic to confess after a movie?_ “Do you want ice-cream?” Leo asks distractedly, crouching in front of the freezer and taking a bite of the pepperoni. “It’s brownie fudge.”

 

“Yaaaaaass.”

 

He can’t help it; he turns around mid-chew to squint at him.

 

Guang-hong giggles, and Leo nearly chokes on his mouthful of pizza.

 

********

 

As the protagonist is going through his romantic arc, Guang-hong asks, “Why do you have such a big TV?”

 

“I thought you wanted me to concentrate on the movie.”

 

They’re essentially lying side-by-side, so there’s the sound of a beanbag shifting as Guang-hong turns on his side and props his head up to look at Leo instead of the TV. “The romance plot is the product of our heteronormative society and has no relevance to the story,” he says. “Why do you have such a big TV.”

 

Leo turns his head to look at him, raising his eyebrows. “Big words, Ji.”

 

“Seung-gil said that when I made him watch it. I’ve been saying it ever since, because it’s true.”

 

“Not a big fan of heteronormativity?”

 

Rather boldly, Guang-hong mutters out a faint “No one should be.”

 

Leo’s eyebrows are going to rise straight into his hairline, so Guang-hong pokes his forehead with two fingers, which makes him laugh and twist away. “Answer my question, jackass!”

 

They watch as the protagonist takes the girl’s hands and kisses them with some emotion. “This is so forced,” Leo mutters disdainfully. “JJ got the TV when we moved in. He wanted a proper screen to watch his hockey matches on, he said. Mostly we just use it to watch movies and play video games.”

 

On screen, the crying girl slaps the protagonist and runs away as he sinks to his knees.

 

Leo wonders if Guang-hong would slap him if he confessed to him like this.

 

********

 

“Hey, it’s me,” Leo says, as the ally lands with an impressive roll after he jumps off a 5-storey building. “Except I wasn’t that cool.”

 

Guang-hong snorts. “Look at the hero. I’m telling you now, they’re super gay for each other. Fuck that other girl.”

 

“Wow,” Leo says, grinning in the dark room, twisting his fingers. “Guang-hong Ji, out here pushing the gay agenda.”

 

“Ya bet,” Guang-hong mumbles.

 

There’s a short period of silence as the hero embraces his long-lost ally, and then Leo pushes himself up to stare nervously at Guang-hong. “Wait, are you gay?”

 

His cute freckles are always so highlighted by his blushes. “So what if I am,” Guang-hong mumbles, pointedly staring at the screen.

 

Leo collapses back into his beanbag with a heavy exhale, heart beating a mile a minute. “Cool,” then in a rush, “I’mgaytoo.”

 

He can feel Guang-hong staring wide-eyed at him, so he quickly says, “Oh look, it’s the bit where we ran through the maze.”

 

“…Yeah,” Guang-hong breathes out.

 

Leo watches his toes curl and uncurl, shifting in his pale blue socks.

 

********

 

When the credits finish rolling, Guang-hong is dozing off next to him.

 

“Guang-hong, it’s barely 10. How are you sleepy?” Leo whispers, though he contradicts himself by yawning immediately after.

 

“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I’m tired,” he mumbles. His eyelashes flutter, and he waves his hand lazily in the air at the TV. Leo picks up the remote and clicks it off so that they’re left in relative darkness. “Did you like it?”

 

Leo settles back into the beanbag, eyes adjusting to the figure next to him. “It was really good. But the ending was so ambiguous. Did they defeat Georgi Popovich or not?”

 

“I dunno. It’s meant to be up to you.”

 

“What do you think?”

 

In the darkness, Guang-hong maybe smiles at him. “I think the ally finished off the enemy with a few well-placed shots, healed the hero’s fatal wounds, saved his life, and then they eloped to a distant country where no one knows them and lived happily ever after.”

 

Leo huffs with amusement, and Guang-hong rolls onto his back.

 

“Why are there glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling?”

 

“JJ got drunk last year on his birthday and decided that we had to be able to stargaze in the flat. We never bothered trying to get them down.”

 

“Ehhhh.” The faint green light reflects off Guang-hong’s half shut eyes, and Leo can’t look away. “That’s cute.”

 

“You’re cute,” Leo murmurs before he can stop himself.

 

Guang-hong nods slowly. “No, you…”

 

His eyes slip shut, and Leo stares drowsily at him.

 

“Guang-hong.”

 

“Hey, Guang-hong.”

 

The boy mumbles something incoherent and rolls around to face him, mouth already slack in his rest. Even in his sleepy state, Leo feels affection bloom out of his stomach, making his chest ache, and he fumbles around in the darkness until he catches Guang-hong’s limp hand.

 

“I like you.” Leo yawns again, his eyes drooping shut, fingers entwined. “Guang-hong Ji. I really like you.”

 

The cheap stars glow faintly above them, the silence in the flat only interrupted by the occasional heavy breath and shifting beanbag.

 

********

 

“Do you think we can go in yet,” Hai-feng frowns, biting her thumb anxiously.

 

Otabek remains silent, brows creased. His phone shows several unread messages, saying _bro i’m back_ and _can i come in?_ and _?? it’s nearly 11 we’re worried???_ and so on.

 

“I’m just gonna unlock the door and see what happens,” Otabek decides. “The lack of noise says nothing.”

 

Hai-feng grabs his wrist, looking apprehensive. “What if they’re, you know…”

 

“You know better than that,” he replies, narrowing his eyes at her.

 

“…I guess,” she mutters, but the tension doesn’t leave her shoulders.

 

Otabek unlocks the door, and they peek inside.

 

Otabek closes the door and locks it, and Hai-feng gapes at him.

 

“At least let me take a picture!” she hisses. “That is the cutest shit I’ve seen in my _life_!”

 

He hesitates, and nods. “Quickly,” he warns. “Then let’s leave them alone.”

 

Quiet as a shadow, Hai-feng creeps in and looms over the two sleeping figures, snapping a few photos and cooing softly at the sight. Otabek texts JJ saying _u gotta spend the night at isabella’s_ and _don’t ask questions. just do it_ while Hai-feng comes back out and locks the door softly, all fond-eyed and showing her phone to Otabek.

 

Normally, Leo sleeps on his back. In the photo, he’s on his side, fingers entwined with Guang-hong’s, who’s curled into his side, mouth slack and completely relaxed.

 

Otabek doesn’t think he’s ever seen his friend this relaxed before, and Leo is a relaxed person by nature.

 

“I’m spending the night at your place,” he says lowly to Hai-feng. “What’s the time in Russia?”

 

“Text Yuri and find out,” she replies, turning to the stairwell. “Are they gonna catch a cold like that, though?”

 

“It’s summer,” Otabek points out. “And there’s no heavy breeze. It’s super comfy tonight. Optimal conditions.”

 

Under these optimal conditions, Leo and Guang-hong curl further into each other, comfortable and at peace with each other's company.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is one of the most precious images that ive ever seen in my mind. i think im gonna puke from the fluff.
> 
> wonder if gh heard his confession lol...?


	21. In The Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up on the beanbags just means dealing with the implications of sleeping together in the most innocent way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have..no excuse. i got a summer job and things got real fuckin busy. life sucks balls man, this is way overdue
> 
> and i passed?? 1k?? hits?? on a fluff slow-burn smutless chaptered fic????? THANK YOU ALL
> 
> OK this is kinda short but i didn't wanna leave it hanging around, so. please enjoy.

Under the assault of early morning sunlight, Guang-hong wakes up.

 

He doesn’t immediately open his eyes. Instead, he tries to convince his brain to go back to dream land, where Leo had told him he was cute then confessed to him under a night sky full of greenish stars. A little far-fetched, but given that it had been a _dream_ , the least he could do was to enjoy the moment, right?

 

There’s something lying across his waist. A warm, limp, solid something. Blearily, Guang-hong becomes slowly aware of soft breathing, the fact that he’s lying on a rug and not his duvet, and how his fingers were twined around…someone else’s?

 

Hardly daring to breathe, Guang-hong opens his eyes and barely contains a yelp.

 

Some time in the middle of the night, sleeping Leo had wrapped his arm around Guang-hong’s waist and pulled him closer; Guang-hong had apparently responded by burrowing himself into Leo’s chest, as he now found himself staring wide-eyed at several open buttons, furiously averting his gaze from Leo’s exposed collarbone.

 

_I passed out on his carpet??! Oh man, this is the worst!!_

 

Leo snuffles softly and Guang-hong hastily squeezes his eyes shut, heart hammering in his chest.

 

With no change in his breathing pace, Leo lifts his arm and turns onto his other side, still sleeping soundly. Guang-hong breathes out a sigh and sits up slightly to peer around the apartment.

 

A suspicious lack of roommates. And there was no sign that any of them had come back late and left early. His phone was still plugged into the borrowed charger.

 

He grabs it and tiptoes into the bathroom, closing the door as softly as possible.

 

********

 _6 images from_ 凱峯

 

“What the fuck,” Guang-hong hisses to himself, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and blushing up a storm.

 

_me: what the fuck!!!!! is this!!!!!!_

凱峯 _: adorable. new wallpaper right there_

_me: NO IDC ABOUT THAT HOW DID YOU GET THESE PICTURES_

凱峯 _: we came back last night at around 11? and u 2 were dead asleep like DEAD ASLEEP i was fucking standing right over u and u didnt even move._

凱峯 _: otabek told jj not to come back and spent the night at my place_

凱峯 _: he was skyping his bf all. night. long. he’s fucking lucky i dont sleep like a sane being otherwise i swear to fuck_

凱峯 _: his bf still cant pronounce my name right LOL how long have they been dating again_

_me: WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE US UP_

凱峯 _: why, should i have? u both looked so comfy and cute_

_me: gbsfdsfsfsfsdfjsakbfshgasdh DUDE WEHHHHHH,,,,,_

_me: i had a dream. that he confessed to me_

_me: is that creepy? to dream about something like that when i was asleep next to him?_

凱峯 _: more like a prophecy_

 _me:_ 哇操 _STOP_

 

The boy locks his phone and rubs his eyes, groaning softly. He proceeds to sit in the bathtub for a further 10 minutes, reflecting on his past mistakes (and swooning a little back into the dream) before rinsing his mouth with tap water and peeking quietly out of the bathroom door.

 

Leo is still motionless. Except his face is now buried in Guang-hong’s side of the beanbag.

 

He takes a few firm breaths to calm himself, and crawls quietly back to Leo’s side, tapping his head softly.

 

“Iglesia. Hey.” Leo mumbles something, shaking his head minutely. Guang-hong has to press a hand against the fond smile forming on his face. “You’re being a terrible host.”

 

No reaction. Guang-hong tries another tactic. “Birds are gonna nest in your hair if you don’t get up and comb it right now.”

 

His thick brows scrunch together slightly, and Guang-hong can’t hold back a giggle.

 

Apparently his stomach couldn’t hold back a hungry growl either.

 

“Leo, feed me.”

 

Sleepy brown eyes blink open, and Guang-hong waves his fingers tentatively in front of them. “Morning. I accidentally stayed over-night. Sorry.”

 

His drowsy host yawns and gropes around for his phone, squinting in the sunlight. “Whassa time…?”

 

“Half eight.”

 

There’s a moment of processing, and then Leo’s eyes fly fully open. “Ah! It’s you! Wha—I—uh—”

 

As Leo stammers at him, cheeks ruddy for no discernible reason, Guang-hong flashes back to his waking moment and squeezes his eyes shut in mortification. “You could’ve woken me up, you know.”

 

“Oh,” Leo says. “You said you hadn’t slept well the night before, so I thought…”

 

They catch each other’s eyes and immediately dart away.

 

“Do you want to go grab breakfast or something?” Leo asks tentatively after a few awkward minutes. “There’s no sustainable breakfast foods in this apartment unless you count milk and energy bars.”

 

Guang-hong watches him fidget, fighting down his suspiciously-Phichit-sounding-inner-voice shouting _BREAKFAST DATE! BREAKFAST DATE!_ and instead forcing himself to act natural. “Can we go for pancakes?”

 

Leo grins a little. “Can I have a waffle?”

 

“Can I pleeeease have a waffle,” Guang-hong replies, and they both giggle. 

 

“Anything you want.” Leo stands up and stretches. His hair is an absolute _mess_. “I’ve got a travel kit you can use to clean up a bit, then let’s go and eat breakfast like healthy human beings.”

 

“ _Healthy human beings_ ,” Guang-hong mimics, taking Leo’s offered hand and getting pulled up. “One time Seung-gil and Hai-feng were having a chess showdown and it lasted for 14 hours. They only stopped and went for lunch when Yan literally started yelling at them and Phichit upended the chessboard. So I think we’re relatively healthy.”

 

Leo lets out a noise between a groan and a laugh; Guang-hong understands it completely. “Your friends are such weird people,” he sighs. “Though mine aren’t any better. C’mon, let’s be better at being humans than them.”

 

“Oh, absolutely,” Guang-hong replies. “We’ll create a new superior race.”

 

Leo squeezes his hand. “We’ll be the IgleJias!”

 

Guang-hong squeezes back and tries not to think about the implications of their conversation.

 

(Hard to do when the person of implication is pulling him hand-in-hand into his tiny bathroom.)

 

(Just to clean up, though.)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i SHOULD be finishing this whole fic by the time christmas rolls around. and then maybe i'll start on another year-long chaptered fic. who knows?
> 
> actually i wrote a few one-shots (in a few different fandoms) but it feels like cheating to be posting one-shots while there's an ongoing chaptered fic but uhhhh i have flawed logic idk
> 
> ALSO: felt more natural that gh would save hai-feng's name in chinese(凱峯)? and 哇操 is a swear. kinda. so there you go
> 
> next up: breakfast date, and possible intervention/confession...thanks for the support as usual, and leave any (time complaints) comments/kudos as you see fit, i appreciate everything!!!


	22. Hello, Friends (and Coffee)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having somehow meandered back to Moonbucks, Phichit and Seung-gil join in.
> 
> It's not a double date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep. planned the rest of it. 2 more chapters folks. lord give me strength.
> 
> as usual, please enjoy.

They’re having a heated debate about the Night At The Museum series when Leo stops dead in his tracks.

 

“Is that…?”

 

Guang-hong stares, and claps a hand to his forehead. “No! It’s our day off!”

 

On the other side of the window, Nick drops his tablecloth and stares slackjawed at them.

 

Leo sighs. “Guess we should go in.”

 

********

 

Walking into Moonbucks feels weird when they haven’t got their aprons with them. It’s even weirder when their manager is the one taking their orders.

 

“I gotta say, boys.” Nick grins at them from behind the counter. “I didn’t expect this level of loyalty.”

 

“Neither did I,” Leo mutters, looking a bit annoyed. “I guess muscle memory just worked its magic.”

 

Guang-hong taps his fingers on the counter. “I don’t like being on the ordering side,” he says petulantly. “Feels like I should be serving someone, not being served. I should be working the cash till.”

 

Nick shrugs. “Well, you’re not,” he says. “Maybe in two days’ time. For now, you gotta play the customer, and I gotta serve you. What would you boys like?”

 

Both of them stare blankly at the menu. The beginnings of an indecision crisis creeps onto Guang-hong’s face, creasing his eyebrows in concern.

 

“Uh…”

 

“Tall…caramel…macchiato?” Leo offers tentatively. “How do people order things again?”

 

Nick snorts at them. “Sometimes they also say ‘please’,” he says dryly. “But I’ll let it slide. Guang-hong?”

 

His eyes slide blankly from the menu to Nick’s face, the complete epitome of confusion and indecision. Leo smothers a laugh and says, “You look like you’re about to combust.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry about him,” a voice pipes up from behind. “There’s a reason why I always do the ordering. Get him a hot white chocolate with a shot of vanilla. While we’re at it, I’ll have a cappuccino and a slice of matcha cake please. And a double espresso latte. Thanks! All on me.”

 

Wide-eyed, Leo whirls around to see Phichit beaming at him, in a grey hoodie and neon orange tights.

 

More importantly, Seung-gil was lurking behind him, in a matching navy hoodie and grey jeans, looking like this was the last place he wanted to be even if there were hordes of zombies outside and a meteorite was hurtling towards their general vicinity.

 

The cash register pings, and Nick says, “Why don’t you all go sit down? I’ll bring everything. It’s your day off, after all.”

 

********

“Don’t look so surprised,” Guang-hong says, sipping daintily from his small cup of piping hot chocolate. “I called them here to apologise.”

 

The caramel macchiato clunks down onto the little round table, and Leo turns his head to stare at him. “For what, exactly?”

 

Guang-hong narrows his eyes into little slits at Seung-gil, who’s looking increasingly… _sulky_? The mood around the table immediately drops about twenty degrees. “Mostly, for coming here that one time and being horrible in _staking out_ , which ended up in him doing a really bad job and was just generally unnerving.”

 

Leo goes into a mild panic, because Seung-gil looks like he’s about to _stab the nearest living thing with whatever available object_ , which happened to be 1)him and 2)Phichit’s cake fork . “Guang-hong, there’s really no need — ”

 

“Oh no, Leo,” Phichit interrupts, smiling sweet and deadly, leaning over the table and patting his knee. “I want to apologise too. I went to visit my family for a couple days and apparently everything went to hell. I guess it turned out okay, but still. Most of it was uncalled for. So I’m sorry. And now,” he pinches Seung-gil’s hand, earning himself a small hiss ( _not unlike a wary cat_ , Leo thought bemusedly). “What do you have to say for yourself, Mr Interrogator?”

 

Seung-gil shifts in his seat and mutters something incomprehensible. The tips of his ears are burning red.

 

Guang-hong tilts his head, completely devoid of his usual gentleness. “Sorry, didn’t catch that, Mr I’ve-Spoken-At-Science-Lectures-And-A-Room-Full-Of-Professionals-Applauded-me,” he says. “Louder this time, please.”

 

If Leo’s being honest, _that_ is more unnerving than Seung-gil’s surprise visit/subsequent mental scarring.

 

 _Never test a kind man’s patience_ , Otabek says in his head, all grave and solemn and unhelpful.

 

 _He’s just a brat, and there’s nothing more to it,_ his brain echoes, and Hai-feng’s playful smirk from the expo floats to the forefront of his mind.

 

Seung-gil looks like he’s having trouble chewing the words in his mouth.

 

“Apologies,” Seung-gil spits out at the same time Leo says, “It’s okay, dude.”

 

 _Awkward. Awk. Warddddddd,_ Leo’s brain warbles, and he wants to pull the collar of his shirt away from his neck but he’s kinda frozen because that was really _fucking awkward??!?_

 

Both Guang-hong and Phichit look surprised, and Seung-gil knits his brows together like _did this guy just try to fucking interrupt me what the fuck?_ , so Leo plows on before he looses his bravery, pulling words out of thin air.

 

“It’s okay,” he repeats, just because his brain is running around the place trying to piece together fragments what he wants to express but he _can’t_ and _how do you speak English again??_ “Look, man, I really didn’t mind. Still don’t mind, rather. It obviously, uh, stemmed from good intentions, whatever they were. You just, really care for your friends, I think. And that’s. Cool. Yeah. I respect that. I was mostly nervous because you just looked familiar and also you were as cold as you fucking looked and uhhh…are you…laughing??”

 

Because he is; silent peals of chuckles, covered by his hand, but his eyes crinkle and suddenly he doesn’t look like an ice figure anymore. Leo can’t really make any sense out of this complete shift, so he just keeps his mouth shut in confusion.

 

Phichit looks like he’s about to shake some sense into his boyfriend when Seung-gil stops abruptly, smiling with one side of his mouth, and offers a hand to Leo, who takes it, and they give each other a firm shake.

 

“You’re a good man, Leo de la Iglesia,” he says. His hand is surprisingly warm, as is the look in his eyes, a nonverbal _thank you_ that Leo accepts gratefully. “I’m glad at least someone understands. And, ah, I’ll try not to be _as cold as I fucking look_ , in your own words.”

 

Leo squeezes his eyes shut, takes a deep breath, and just bursts out laughing.

 

It doesn’t take long for Seung-gil to dissolve back to snickers.

 

Guang-hong crosses his arms, satisfied, and Phichit rolls his eyes. “Thank you,” the former says, nodding happily. “Honour has been restored.”

 

Phichit eyes his expression knowingly, but says nothing, clapping his hands together. “Right! Glad we’re all friends now. How was movie night?”

 

********

 

“Oh god,” Seung-gil gasps, gulping in air like a dying man. Beside him, Phichit is wheezing in his chair, hanging onto his fork like a lifeline, and Guang-hong is shaking like a leaf, choking on his own giggles. “Fuck. You were told about all  _that_? Chrissakes. What is this bad rep of my character that seems to be trending lately?”

 

Leo himself is bent in half, trying to hold back his laughter so he can actually speak. “Can I have some actual qualities then? Something preferably unrelated to biting and chess and other inhuman horrors? Phichit? Anything?”

 

“I’ve definitely got a few.” Phichit puffs up his cheeks in thought. “Oh! On our anniversary this year, he prepared and presented a powerpoint on how many times we showered each other in affection on average, and came up with a proposal on how he could improve. Literal charts, Leo! Now that’s dedication and reflection!”

 

Seung-gil claps a hand to his face. “That took me an entire week,” he sighs, relaxed. “I combed through our texts and everything. By the way, please tell me you’re gonna get Hai-feng to apologise too, otherwise I’m suing on grounds of gender discrimination.”

 

Guang-hong waves his empty cup dismissively at him. “Her time will come, and she too will suffer form incredible levels of emotional constipation,” he proclaims, triggering another round of chortles. His phone buzzes on the table, and he pokes distractedly at the screen. “Shoot. I gotta take this call, guys. Be back in like ten minutes, okay?”

 

“Sure, go do what you need to do!” Phichit waves at him, and Guang-hong smiles apologetically at Leo, getting up and swinging out the door.

 

The moment he’s safely out of earshot, the remaining two basically zero in on Leo.

 

“So,” Seung-gil says casually, but with the air of someone about to drop an extremely unpleasant bombshell. “It’s been long overdue for your confession. When’s he getting one?”

 

Leo’s face drops, flushes, and his whole being sags into the sofa. “I’m not that obvious,” he squeaks out.

 

“Oh honey, love is blind,” Phichit sings cheerfully, picking at the cake crumbs on his plate. “I’m fairly sure the only person who doesn’t know is dear little Guang-hong himself.”

 

“Even your manager knows.” Seung-gil waves at Nick, who comes over with some concern at how Leo is rapidly turning into a ketchup pile — liquified and tomato-red. “Hi. You oversee Leo and Guang-hong at their part-time jobs, right? How oblivious would you say they are?”

 

Pulling out a notepad from his front pocket, Nick skims a few pages and says, “There’s a betting pool within the staff on when they’re gonna get together. Mina’s adamant on before Halloween; there’s 3 calling on between that and Thanksgiving (whenever that is); and 2 banking on Christmas. I’m impartial right now, but having seen them outside of work, I’m probably joining Mina. That’s that. Oh, and Terushima Yuuji’s called dibs on making a move if it doesn’t happen before the end of the year, so you better get a move on, Leo. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

 

The smirk on Nick’s face as he walks away makes Leo groan into the sofa. “I’m _working_ on it,” he whines. “Teru won’t get his _chance_.”

 

Phichit clicks his tongue. “Tick-tock, Leo. We wouldn’t be spurring you on if…” Leo immediately sits up ramrod straight.

 

“If what,” he demands. “Spit it out, Phichit, before—”

 

“Hey! What’d I miss?” Guang-hong chirps, sliding back into his seat.

 

“NOTHING,” Leo yelps, as Phichit and Seung-gil chorus, “Everything.”

 

Guang-hong looks suspiciously between them — Phichit’s Chesire Cat grin, Seung-gil’s smirky twist of his mouth, Leo’s hands curled firmly into fists. “What’d I miss,” he repeats. “Spill it.”

 

“Oh, if you insist.” Seung-gil leans back. “Did you know there’s a betting pool on when you and Leo are gonna become an item?”

 

And the carnage unfolds.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case it wasn't clear, sg "staking out" refers to uhhhh ch7 when he and hai-feng went and scared poor leo (and got chewed out by otabek afterwards). i felt bad having put leo through so much so i just had to make them apologise lol
> 
> as usual, please leave comments/kudos where u feel appropriate, everything is appreciated. thanks for sticking out thus far. here's to hoping the finale doesn't disappoint!


	23. Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--some-- angst
> 
> look, i -- am sorry this took so long. but there were factors that were out of my control. e.g. ao3 got blocked from my laptop and i could not do shit. 
> 
> also i hate myself for using present tense why the f uc k did i do that chrissakes.
> 
> happy holidays y'all. i swear the end is near...

“Why do we all gotta take responsibility when you were the one who said the stupid thing.”

Seung-gil raises a placating hand, emotions wrestling across his expression — guilt, fear, righteousness. “Look, in hindsight, maybe it wasn’t the best idea —” “— Oh, got that message, did you? I’ll take responsibility if our dumb plan scared them apart, but not for you running your damn mouth,” Hai-feng snarls, tapping his fingers against his thigh.

After Seung-gil had carelessly said “did you know there’s a betting pool on when you and Leo are gonna become an item?”, all the blood drained from Guang-hong’s face, who then stood up and left without another sound.

Leo had let out a pained groan and dashed out after him.

Phichit glances nervously around their living room, perched in their armchair. Minami is quietly sobbing on the sofa, with Yan trying fruitlessly to hush him down; Hai-feng, cross-legged and fidgety on the floor; Seung-gil, face drawn tight, stiff in his desk chair; Otabek, who had been summoned to represent Leo’s side, had been pacing the room for a while, occasionally hissing under his breath.

When he first arrived, he’d nodded very politely at everyone, then grabbed Seung-gil by the collar.

“I haven’t heard from him since,” he growled. Panic flashed momentarily across Seung-gil’s calm expression. “He hasn’t been home, hasn’t been to classes, hasn’t been to work. It’s been a _week_.”

He’d basically thrown Seung-gil into the wall.

Phichit doesn’t want his boyfriend to shoulder all the blame, but really, _whose fault was it?_

“We’ve been calling his parents and friends in China, just in case he made a quick escape,” Yan says, stroking the sobbing boy’s hair in a soothing manner. “They say he hasn’t gone home and I believe them, but we haven’t seen him around his flat, either. Or around the city, for that matter. We went hunting for him.”

“That doesn’t say much though.” Phichit rubs a hand across his face, tired as hell and all he wants to do is find a time-machine so Seung-gil could _take back what he said_. “The boy’s like a squirrel. He’s got food enough to last throughout a nuclear winter if he wanted. And he could easily call in sick for school and get online work.”

Minami hiccups sadly. “No one’s answered the d-doorbell,” he chokes out. “We’ve been at least…four times a day. He’s in there though. I know it.”

“He’s been reading my messages but not replying to any of them,” Hai-feng grits out. “And of course he isn’t taking any calls either. I tried to get to him by rerouting through his mum. Didn’t work.”

“Same with Leo.” Otabek stops his pacing, and Phichit notices the dark shadows under his eyes. “JJ and I set up a fucking _night watch._ Nothing. A man can only take so much patented JJ-style fretting, you know? This is helluva shitshow.”

Seung-gil lets out a slow breath, looking like a haunted man. The face of one ready for the guillotine.

Five pairs of eyes turn towards him.

“Got something to say, huh?” Otabek steps towards him, head tilted at a disjointed angle. “Go on then, scientist. Amateur lawyer. Snipe your way out of this one, I dare you. What kind of asshole purposefully targets a _friend_ mere minutes after _barely having apologised to them._ Oh, right, I forgot. _You don’t have emotions like everyone else._ ”

Seung-gil jerks upright, stiff as a corpse.

“Otabek, stop,” Hai-feng warns, up on his feet, tense as a taut spring.

“Excuse me,” Seung-gil says, hands clenched tight by his sides. “I only spoke the truth. I didn’t think it would be taken this badly. It was a careless mistake on my part, but —”

“If you really believed it was a _careless mistake_ on your part, you wouldn’t have asked us here to _help take responsibility_ ,” Otabek interrupts, jabbing an angry finger at his chest.

They’re standing toe to toe when Hai-feng irritatedly shoves them apart, sending Seung-gil tripping over his chair and Otabek reeling several steps back.

“Stop this.” Yan looks up from the sofa, glare flickering between Seung-gil and Otabek. Phichit buries his face in his hands and lets out a muffled groan. “Seung-gil was undeniably careless. But that is no reason,” he says sharply, staring steadily at Hai-feng, “for things to get violent.”

“Nonsense,” Hai-feng scoffs, eyes glinting dangerously. “It’s a good enough reason to dole out some physical punishment. Between _friends_.”

“Well right now my friend is _missing_ ,” Otabek snarls. “So what the hell are you all gonna do about that?”

“So’s ours,” Seung-gil retorts, stony despite his pale expression.

“Oh yeah? And who’s fault is that, you _careless_ piece of —”

“I never said I wouldn’t be taking responsibility —”

The moment Hai-feng reaches to push them apart again, Minami stands and and shrieks.

“STOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!” he wails, fat tears splattering onto the floor. Yan jumps up, frantically trying to calm him down. “STOP FIGHTING ALREADY—!!!!!!!! WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO BE SCUFFLING IN HERE — THEY’RE _OUR_ FRIENDS — DO YOU THINK THOSE TWO GENTLE PEOPLE WOULD WANT US TO —” Yan rubs Minami’s nose forcefully with a clean tissue, cutting off his near incoherent wailing.

Seung-gil has the decency to look ashamed.

“I’ll apologise properly this time,” he mutters, slumping back into his chair. Phichit reaches over and squeezes his hand in encouragement. Hai-feng glares at Otabek until he looks away, letting out a dissatisfied _tch_.

“Better be the best damn apology of the century,” he mutters.

Phichit stands up and claps his hands. “So, everyone!” he says with forced cheeriness, while Minami quietens into soft sniffles. “Maybe it didn’t work when Minami and I went alone, but how about trying a group effort this time? Let’s crash Guang-hong’s place again!”

 

****6 days ago****

 

“So. Let’s talk.”

Guang-hong sets down his mug with more force than necessary; a few drops of tea splash out onto the table. Leo flinches at the hard expression on his face.

“Where do you want to start,” he offers tentatively.

“What the hell was Seung-gil talking about? What betting pool? This some kind of sick joke?” Questions overflow from the shaking boy, terror and anger blatant on his expression. “I hate that stuff. Relationships aren’t laughingstock, you know. Damn that stupid Korean. Go on then, Leo, since you guys were getting so chummy, what was that all about, huh?”

There is one simple explanation for everything, but it is one that Leo does not want to give.

Not when Guang-hong was so upset.

 _This is not how I wanted this to go,_ Leo laments, unable to bear the atmosphere.

“Look,” he begins, hesitant. “I swear on anything you want that what I’m about to say isn’t a joke. Please, promise me that you won’t freak.”

“I’ll try. Now spill.”

Leo twists his fingers together, cheeks warm. “This took quite a while, but…I like you, Guang-hong.” He chews nervously on his tongue for a bit to let the words sink in before continuing. “My friends wanted to…help. How Otabek came to know that he had mutual friends with you, I have no clue, but…they t-thought it’d be helpful to try to…push me along. According to Seung-gil, I wasn’t very subtle, which is…probably how the whole betting pool thing happened. I’m sorry. I’ll apologise as many times as you want, but — ”

“—Hold it,” Guang-hong interrupts, shaky. Leo stares resolutely at his fingers, avoiding eye contact in his fear.

No one speaks for a while. Leo twists his fingers even tighter together when he hears Guang-hong’s heavy exhale.

“…Don’t apologise,” Guang-hong says at last. “It’s not your fault my friends decided to-to try and…help me too. So things crossed over.”

The words take a while to click in Leo’s brain, but when they do, he snaps up at stares at Guang-hong, bright-red with hope.

“Wha —”

“Do you want to stay for a bit?” Guang-hong says, loudly, gaze darting everywhere with a red flush blooming down his neck. “We can. Discuss this. Us. In more detail. And speculate what those well-meaning assholes actually did.”

Leo almost breaks his neck from nodding; his phone buzzes, and he’s struck with a sudden idea of petty vengeance. “Let’s cut off all contact just to fuck with them.”

The gleam in Guang-hong’s expression means two things; one, that they’re okay, they’re good, they’re gonna be fine (!!!!); two, it IS a bit mean to just blank all their friends, but they deserve to worry for a little while.

And they are _not_ going to mess up the communication anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> uh, i don't actually have an update schedule, but i'll be sure to get them out as steaming hot as soon as possible. Please leave a comment and/or kudos; they mean a lot to me, and certainly may help me improve! 
> 
> Next chapter will be Guang-hong...how does the Chinese beauty feel...?


End file.
